Vegetables - Broad bean

Broad beans are sometimes called fava beans. They have been a food crop in England for a very long time. They are an early crop, as the plants are hardy. They can be sown in the autumn, but I tend to forget, and usually sow them in February-March.

The seeds (which are just the dried beans) are easy to handle. You sow them outside in their final location, and they germinate well, so sow them well apart. Imagine the size of the subsequent plant!

The pest associated with broad bean is blackfly. This always seems to turn up. You still get the crop, so I tend to shrug and put up with it. It is one reason to sow early, to try and get as much growth as possible before the black fly come.

One reason why broad beans (and all legumes, such as other beans and peas) are useful is because they fix nitrogen in the soil - see crop rotation.

To harvest, pull off the pods when the beans inside are big enough. (And you work this out by trying one and seeing! Although you can judge it by size after a bit.) Small beans are nicer than older, bigger ones. This is an early summer crop. Pinch the pods sideways to pop them open, or slit them open with a thumbnail. The beans are inside in a lovely white velvety bed, and you just take them out. I boil them for a few minutes, not too long.

Seeds