Fava/Broad Beans - The Complete Growing Guide

Wait! It's not quite time to hang up your boots for the season yet. There's a crop you can still sow that will give you some of your earliest harvests of 2023 if you get them in now!
It's the vegetable that time forgot, the humble broad bean or fava bean. The long lost legume you're going to love! Ben tells us all we need to know to grow these nutritious, delicious plump treats in this week's episode.
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[@dlsdyer9071]

Found that rodents do not like beans and peas after they have gone through the chemical changes of sprouting. I used to lose about 75% to them. I now soak and sprout (root about 1/4 inch long) inside and then direct sow outside. Total game changer.

[@laurieanne9712]

Thanks for this tip!

[@yonyosef]

top tip

[@flowerheit4512]

👀

[@grovermartin6874]

Maybe it depends on which plants, or which rodent likes which plants. A fat (maybe preggers?) mouse ate the delectable tops of the sugar snap peas I planted THREE times this spring. I had to give up because the weather got too hot. Next spring I will make a wire mesh cage for the young peas.

[@dlsdyer9071]

@@grovermartin6874 I am talking about digging up the seeds. New shoot tops is another whole matter. We have squirrels, voles, moles, rabbits, possums, rats, mice, coons and groundhogs as well as deer. All I know is it works.

[@siljatanner1318]

The Hannibal joke at the end was the cherry on top!

[@lindasands1433]

I ❤️ broad beans! After the earthquake our road was unusable, so we couldn't get to the shops for food. Fortunately my crop of broad beans was a bumper one. So we lived on them for a few weeks, + canned food

[@grovermartin6874]

Linda Sands, what good timing that was for you, that they were growing then! (Not good timing about the earthquake...) Where do you live?

[@lindasands1433]

@@grovermartin6874 Kaikoura, New Zealand. I live off-grid in the mountains 😁

[@grovermartin6874]

@@lindasands1433 That sounds heavenly. Was that the earthquake that did such damage in Christchurch? Or have I missed a later one?

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like a perfectly timed crop there Linda.

[@lindasands1433]

@@grovermartin6874 It was later. 2016 I was in both the Christchurch earthquakes too. Made homeless each time. Moved to Kaikoura after being overseas.

[@fatherofchickens7951]

I grew them for the first time this year! A: DELICIOUS! B: people told me they were hard to grow…easy as pie… C: DELICIOUS!

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

they taste like chaulk or do u boil them with bacon

[@fatherofchickens7951]

@@feelinghealingfrequences7179 🤔 mine tasted like a cross between green apple and green beans. I ate them all raw🤷‍♂️

[@tanyawales5445]

@@feelinghealingfrequences7179 Beans of any kind, green or otherwise, are delicious cooked with sauteed onions, Bar-Be- Que sauce and diced ham or bacon. You've got sweet, salty, tangy and meat all in one dish.

[@Hin_Håle]

In a part of Sweden called Småland, it used to be very common to eat "bönegröt" - bean porridge. You mash one part fava beans with two parts potatoes, milk, butter, salt and a little white pepper. Serve with smoked pork or bacon and lots of lingonberry jam. 🤤😋

[@happydillpickle]

I LOVE lingonberry jam! I will try the dish you describe. It sounds delicious. Thank you!

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds delicious!

[@kerim.peardon5551]

That sounds interesting. I have never liked beans or legumes of any kind (it's a texture thing more than a taste issue), so I've been looking for ways to trick myself into eating them. I have made a medieval bean recipe that calls for mashing up the beans and adding sugar and honey so it is similar to the sweet red bean paste you find in Japanese sweets. And I don't mind lentils that are ground up and used like a flour in Indian dishes, like dosa. (In fact, there's a frozen onion dosa I get that I absolutely adore.) So this recipe that mashes up beans and hides them in potatoes sounds viable for me. 🙂

[@JB-wx9bs]

@@kerim.peardon5551 You should try making a cassoulet or feijoada sometime. It's a long cook time so if you do the beans a bit longer beforehand they wind up being like 75% paste

[@calikiwi]

Sounds like a version of refried beans which are amazing with cheese and salsa in a tortilla like bread.. roasted veges in there or roasted veges are yummy in there and a nice picante green tomato salsa…

[@happydillpickle]

If you look up "Three authentic and easy shakshuka recipes" on the Middle Eats channel here on you tube, you will find a delicious recipe for an Egyptian version of Shakshuka that includes fava beans. The recipe uses tinned fava beans but I have made it with the ripe home grown variety and it was incredibly delicious (no eggs required).

[@angelesperazzo5080]

That's a nice tip! Thank you!

[@ludicrousone8706]

Fava beans called fuul are a staple in Egypt. Falafel,called tameyya, are made with fava beans and are so much tastier then regular falafel. Another Egyptian street food staple is simply called fuul and consist of fava beans simmered for hour and eaten with a course flatbread.

[@tygerburning753]

I came here to say the same thing.

[@lindasands1433]

Yum!

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I love this idea! I’ll have to try it

[@GrowVeg]

I think I've tried something very similar in Morocco. Lovely dish!

[@happydillpickle]

@@tygerburning753 Haha me too!

[@garymadden2328]

You have to be the most watchable man on KZbin thank you!

[@GrowVeg]

Bless you, thank you Gary!

[@danyoutube7491]

"Beans beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more nutrients to your body you do impart" - isn't that how the rhyme goes, Ben? :)

[@bfinney479]

😂

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, do you know what - I think you might be right there Dan!

[@anitaostrander4301]

My dad always said you have to chew your beans real well to get the air out of them! Haha

[@klee88029]

Hmm, maybe it does Dan KZbin, but your version isn't funny 😕Sorry 🙏

[@anitaostrander4301]

@@klee88029 lol!

[@TheBereangirl]

Lol ... Your hands are a dead giveaway that you're a serious gardener, and your bean rhyme was pretty stellar too... 😂

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. Always got partially muddy hands! :-)

[@richardmuskett931]

The fixed nitrogen from the beans certainly makes a big difference to the following crop . I have white mustard sown after beans which is about 8 inches taller than than the mustard sown elsewhere in the garden .

[@dlsdyer9071]

Good to know.

[@GrowVeg]

That's great it's made such a difference Richard.

[@paultougher907]

My granda used to grow these and my mum as a small kid would pick them and eat them in the garden lol

[@Gkrissy]

This brings back memories. Fava beans were the first plant I grew as a child in school.

[@GrowVeg]

Oh wow - so pleased to have brought back happy memories. I hope you're inspired to grow them again. :-)

[@sherriianiro747]

Just a quick note - make sure to use the smaller netting so that the birds don't get themselves twisted in it.

[@GrowVeg]

Wise advice, thanks Sherri.

[@lnixon236]

I switched to the material ballerinas use for their tutu. I'm never going back to netting.

[@karenfornwalt9929]

@Linda N Tulle?

[@Gasp7000]

@@karenfornwalt9929 Pettycoat netting is stiffer than nylon net or tulle. I bought all three kinds to try.

[@antonywinfield1964]

roasted and salted like peanuts sounds amazing.

[@beretgascon]

Never heard of fava beans where I was brought up. In the UK we had, and still have, broad beans. I'm now in SW France and here they're called "fêves" so I can kind of see a link between "fêve" and "fava"! Anyway, I planted my broad beans a week ago and they're already popping up everywhere in this unseasonably warm and dry autumn. I plant directly into compost (permaculture) with a generous topping of mulch but in this weather I'm still watering regularly. I have my netting ready to discourage the wood pigeons. My favourite recipe is simply boiled in lightly salted water and served with a big ole knob of butter - can't wait!

[@GrowVeg]

I hope they don't get too advanced before the winter François. I do indeed call them broad beans - just trying to be understood by an international audience. It did make me grimace saying it!

[@equisader]

I'm in france too. Thanks for the translation. I know them as broad beans and wondered if these were the same. Going to dash out tomorrow and buy some. I have a couple of empty beds.

[@fpsninja1]

My favourite is an Arabic recipe: Fry the beans in a tiny bit of oil in a pan. Add onions and garlic if you want. Throw in some stock and some rice (if you cook meat separately use the left over water from lamb or beef also works good). Add rice and cook, then finally add lots of dill towards the end

[@happydillpickle]

That sounds delicious. Is that for the mature beans or the green ones before they've fully ripened? Thank you! I absolutely love fava beans (And Arabic food!)

[@fpsninja1]

@@happydillpickle green beans. Double shell them

[@happydillpickle]

@@fpsninja1 Brilliant! Thank you 😁

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like a cracking recipe Arif.

[@mikeamirault8741]

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot!😆

[@josephkiselica8923]

Yesssss. Beans, beans the musical fruit..... The more you eat the more you "toot". The more you "toot" the better you feel..... So let's have beans for every meal! DOBRE CHUT!

[@doricetimko332]

Hvala!

[@donnag7095]

I've never grown Fava beans before, But after seeing your video and reading some of the comments, with cooking ideas. I think I'll give it a go.Thanks Ben for all the lovely ideas.

[@GrowVeg]

Great to hear you'll be giving them a go Donna. :-)

[@retiredcaterer]

Fava Beans tossed in parsley sauce And eaten with boiled gammon and mashed potato!! Yummy mine are about 2inch high at the moment. Might have to protect them if we get a hard winter in Somerset U.K.

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like a great way to serve them up David.

[@jdwoods2008]

I always finish that old rhyme like this... "Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat, the better your digestion." : )

[@thatguychris5654]

I believe as a kid in Poland I ate these when they were still soft and green (either this variety or something super close). They would get cooked in butter and dill, then eaten by squeezing out the soft center or eating it whole if the skin was tender enough. Common name for the meal was "Bub" (pronounced boob).

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like a great way to serve them up. :-)

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

LOVE fava bean! I started growing them a few years ago, and I'm hooked. I'm on my 3rd harvest from the same plants this year & already have many meals worth vacuum sealed in my freezer. The smaller ones are good fresh, but once they get medium-large sized I blanch & peel them. One of my favorite sides is fava beans sautéed in butter & garlic with a pinch of salt & pepper. Super simple & very delicious. 😋

[@GrowVeg]

That does sound yum!

[@jodpigbass5904]

Dip, risotto and ful medames are my favourite... it is spring here and the fava are growing full strength ..love them.

[@New-ei8qp]

I eat them with black pudding (onion and herbs). One of my fav meals!

[@ronaldkaipio8324]

The name Black Pudding sounds scary but it is Halloween

[@happydillpickle]

I absolutely LOVE fava beans! They're delicious. There are so many ways to cook them. My favourite is ful medamas, which is a bit like humous, but way better. You can also make falafel from the ripe beans. I wait for my fava beans to ripen because I like them best like that. The Royal horticultural society seems to think that fava bean rust isn't treatable but spraying with copper sulphate helps. Happy growing everyone!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the tip on dealing with rust. :-)

[@happydillpickle]

@@GrowVeg You are very welcome. It doesn't need to be a super strong solution and I make sure I don't plant fava beans in the same spot in the next few seasons. I also burn any affected plants if necessary. Rust is a pain, but if you catch it quickly enough, it doesn't have to ruin your crop.

[@anne-mariemarsh4479]

I like eating the young pods like mange-tout especially in early spring when you can't grow french beans.

[@cheesekake1841]

Hi Ben, Thanks for this video. A few months ago I bought a packet of fava beans, didn't know until lately that they're also called "broad beans" and I thought I missed the season to grow them. To my delight I found that I can sow them in November! So two days ago I put the 12 fava beans in a small raised bed, can't wait to see how they're gonna live thru this winter and what I will see in the spring! I love your videos, and never get bored watching them over again! Thanks. 😊

[@GrowVeg]

I hope they grow well for you. Hopefully you'll be enjoying a tasty harvest early next summer - enjoy! :-)

[@CJ-hz1uj]

The greens from the fava bean plants are also good eating when one knows how to harvest and prepare them.

[@BigWillie-zy7po]

Hey i have really gotten into your broadcasts. Great info and you make it look sooooo easy, but i do bring myself back to current day that i am a beginner and you have been doing this all your life. Thank god someone shows an interesting and informational show. i HAVE LEARNED A LOT , THANKS.

[@GrowVeg]

You're so welcome - appreciate you watching. :-)

[@natasha8302]

I remember when I was a child going to my my step great grandparents' farm out in the middle of nowhere (all I know is it was a rural area of Texas) and I would have to help remove the beans from the pods. Looking back now I have to agree with your description of removing beans from their pods is a sensory activity 🤔.

[@GrowVeg]

It really is! :-)

[@lauras6300]

I remember my 2-year old (now 6!) sitting in the garden helping take the beans out the shells. It’s such a fond memory and I am hoping we can find ourselves shelling beans every summer even in our small garden. We only get about a handful to eat but it’s worth growing them just for the experience I love it ❤

[@user-wp9ye7wn9w]

So I like the nature of your garden 😍😊 Enjoy to watching! OK, now I feel so sleepy 🥱😴 May I go to bed. Thanks! For your sharing 😊

[@elwyncuster6360]

I guess I'm going to give them a try. Thanks for the info.

[@GrowVeg]

That's great to hear Elwyn.

[@boofriggityhoo]

I adore roasted fava beans with spices! They're my favorite snack.

[@lindagardenlady]

A great addition to the garden is the use of tulle instead of chicken wire!! Birds don't like the feel and don't get stuck in it and squirrels don't like the feel either. Buying bolts is cheap and very easy to install. I learned about it from a blogger in southern California!! Check them out. Robbie and Gary in southern California. I live in NW Georgia, USA and the tulle was a great tool...hahaha ❤️❤️🌻🌻

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the recommendation Linda. :-)

[@audreyrichmond412]

@Linda Chirico How is it for resisting deer. We lost a major percentage of our 15 year old cedar trees last summer when a local doe and her twins discovered them in our back yard at the lake. Then she had another set of twins and brought them back to our yard once we planted our garden to teach them where to shop. They regularly topped off all the flowers that they like as well as some of the vegetables. We tried hanging the Irish Spring bits which helped in places but you have to hang it everywhere and close together.

[@lindagardenlady]

Audrey Richmond I don't have a problem with dear but I know the squirrels don't like the feel of it. Search for robbie and gary's youtube channel. Robbie has said the deer don't touch her tulle. She's very thorough with her how-to on the tulle-- lots of ideas on the cheap!! Good luck 👍 💓

[@loismegin8036]

@@audreyrichmond412 I sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper on my flowers and veggies. When it rains, I sprinkle again. It discourages deer as they have sensitive noses and trains them to stay away. When I plant dahlia tubers I put a handful of bonemeal in each hole to encourage root growth, and sometimes something comes along and kicks the tubers out of the hole, so I sprinkle a little cayenne on top of the covered hole and no more problems.

[@friedastrong4160]

This is my favorite broad bean recipe: Cook Gnocchi as to recipe ad the frozen broad beans ,in the last minute of cooking , drain , ad cream cheese with herbs or plain cream cheese. Top with bacon bids . My fast food recipe! Ready in five minutes

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds yum!

[@eskreskao]

While Silence references are a must when discussing both fava beans AND Chianti, I applaud the restraint in waiting until the end of the video.

[@markw5779]

Totally agree Ben,Fava beans are one of my favourites,and so welcome in the early growing season,I also planted mine about 8 or 10 inches apart in a block and had a bumper crop from a relatively small space with no problems,love your channel and always look forward to your latest uploads,thank you….. slightly off topic,but I had an amazing year of crop’s from sweet peppers,chillies and tomatoes this year,the chillies are still giving and ripening off perfectly with no disease in sight.😊

[@danyoutube7491]

As a total novice with chillies and a person who didn't sow them early enough, I nevertheless got a few (mainly still green) mild chillies off my little potted plants, which I started off in the mini-greenhouse before setting down near large terracotta pots in a south facing position in the garden. It does seem to have suited them well this year which is no surprise, because they love it hot and dry don't they.

[@GrowVeg]

Glad you're still enjoying your chillies - that's great to hear. Remember you can dehydrate or freeze them to enjoy later in the year.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Dan. Yes indeed - they love it very warm and on the dry side. Sounds like you've given them the ideal position.

[@csbgardening]

"Beans, beans, they're good for your heart..." haven't hear that one in years 😆

[@dianamary6170]

In the whole of the middle east, wherever you go they make fulle mdamas (difficult to translate the phoenetics in english but I'll try my best) fulle= fava beans mdamas = mixed with lemon, garlic and olive oil. sometimes they also add cumin, chopped herbs, like a little parsley, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and sometimes hardboiled eggs to the top. and served with pita bread. There are many recipes I'm sure here on the tube from the basic simple to more additions. Popular for anytime of the day and very filling and flavorful. Kind of similar to what you made Ben! 💚

[@happydillpickle]

One of my favourite foods in the entire universe!

[@happydillpickle]

Some people call them fool and others call them foul, but you'd have to be a fool to not try them and you know what they say about beans, beans, they make you....🌬️

[@dianamary6170]

@@happydillpickle yes people spell it differently but in arabic its pronounced 'fool'

[@GrowVeg]

Wonderful Diana. I'd like to get more creative with fava beans next year, so will be trying out some fulle recipes. :-)

[@laurahardgrove955]

I love foul maddamas. I've tried making it at home lots of times. I haven't figured out the secret spices from the restaurant yet, bit it's still good eating.

[@Ursaminor31]

I recall having fava beans in pod but cooked as a tapis snack in Liguria Italy

[@MSteele]

You are the cutest gardener EVER! Thank you for your wisdom. "Chianti," *chuckle*

[@GrowVeg]

You're very welcome. :-)

[@M4R1N4]

I love fava beans, and am trying to grow them this year 🤞🏻 My Mom and I used to often eat them in a "village" style Greek salad; that is, large chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, crumbled feta and olive oil and lemon or vinegar. A nice hunk of bread to sop up the dressing and you had a great lunch!

[@susanriggs8896]

Writing from California. Favas are a winter crop here, though some of the beans I missed sprouted & grew for the summer. I first grew favas for a cover crop. Beautiful flowers! Dramatic tall plants. My French neighbor taught me how to cook the beans. I couldn't believe how good they are! Now I grow them as a cover crop and for the tasty beans. The tender side shoots are good in a salad.

[@GrowVeg]

It's such a winner of a plant Susan, it really is.

[@tsugima6317]

Found this very interesting... Always heard of broad beans, but never seen them. It's nice to know that they grow in warmer climates as well as colder ones, and the recipes sound delicious. Thank you.

[@beautyforashes2230]

I love fava beans and they're the first crop I sow out each early spring. I didn't know I could sow them out this late for a spring crop, though! Thank you for this. :)

[@adriennefloreen]

It's nice you made a video promoting Fava beans. You should tell people that they don't need all that compost or care because they're grown as a cover crop to fix the nitrogen in poor soil so crops can later be grown. Most people who grow them don't eat the beans. I have shown several farmers how to peel and cook the beans.

[@GrowVeg]

They're a really great cover crop Adrienne, for sure.

[@bluestar.8938]

Thank you Mr Ben : )

[@catladycatlady7359]

Absolutely loved the Silence of the Lambs reference!!♥️☺️

[@scotttoner9231]

I was scrolling thru the comments, concerned I was the only one who got it!

[@iltapuhde]

I like your sense of humour!👌😅

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks. :-)

[@gailclay4905]

God love you I will give it a try! I’m in South Carolina. Love you enthusiasm!!!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much Gail. :-)

[@montaabele2443]

We boil fava beans in their shells in saltwater then just eat them when they are ready, its a treat where we live in Latvia! :)

[@GrowVeg]

Love the simplicity of cooking them up like this. :-)

[@rmar127]

Mmm Fava beans. They go good with brains 🧠

[@Leo-nine]

longtime veg gardener here. I just adore this channel! Thanks for all you do and for always remaining so enthusiastic, positive and funny!! I watch about 15 gardening YT channels and GrowVeg is my favorite!

[@GrowVeg]

That is so lovely to hear - thank so much for the feedback. :-)

[@anapaulacrawford5837]

I sure planted some two weeks ago. I love fava beans , good in soups. Stews etc . A wonderful vegetable !

[@GrowVeg]

Certainly is!

[@donaldauguston9740]

OK, Ben. The Liver and Chianti comment was toooooo funny! Thank you for such a great video. I'd love to also know more about what you do to "winterize" your perennials. Do you cut down things now or wait until spring? Thank you!

[@steveunderhill5935]

Hannibal reference!?!

[@jesselduque2858]

I also laughed at that liver and chianti bit. The gardening x Lecter crossover we didn't know we needed hahaha.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Donald. My perennial plants are left standing throughout the winter and then cut back in early spring. This is so overwintering wildlife has a home to shelter.

[@racebiketuner]

Thanks, I needed a good laugh!

[@AmyLeeRadigan]

Agreed, as soon as I saw "fava beans" I was hoping for that joke!

[@hopeking3588]

Never grew fava beans but now I may try!

[@michaelmacgeorge1082]

Fava beans are fantastic with fresh liver and a nice chiante.

[@tribulationcoming]

Since I can remember my grandmother cooked these fava beans for my father. Eaten by hand by squeezing them out of the shell, there were not that many in a bowl full. Thanks.

[@williammurphy3846]

Beans bean the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot, the more you toot the better you feel, so eat beans for every meal. i learned this from Waynee " Roach" Carney formally of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

[@maplenook]

Great cover crop

[@akeesee11]

Thank you so much for a terrific video. Fava are my favorite! I have been planting them for the last two years, they are delicious boiled whole, cooked with lamb and tomato stew, the inner part can be cooked with white rice and dill, Yum! Even the dry fava can be boiled and topped with fried eggs, sprinkle of dry or fresh mint, olive oil and a splash of lemon as a breakfast fit for a king.

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like a great breakfast Abby! :-)

[@MsFresh619]

These are one of my favourite beans. Eaten on toast cooked up with garlic and chilli 😋

[@GardenofEmma]

Love broad beans. Used to hate them but then discovered double podding and such a difference Great video Ben

[@GrowVeg]

Double podding makes all the difference. :-)

[@lolazal1]

What is double padding please?

[@GardenofEmma]

@@lolazal1 You pick the broad bean and pop out the beans inside. Then boil them for five mins and then pop into cold water. Then you can pop a bean out within the bean itself. A pod within a pod.

[@CesareMarioSodi]

Nice video. It is almost impossible to have a picnic near Rome on May 1st without eating broad beans with pecorino cheese. But for someone (mainly from the Mediterranean countries) it can be dangerous for favism. All shops that sell broad beans in Italy must display the sign "here we sell fresh broad beans".

[@G_Threepwood]

Love broad beans. I forgot to get them in last year, the ones I planted in spring got decimated by black fly. Going out to plant them now!

[@GrowVeg]

Good job. I hope you get a good crop from them.

[@natejansen892]

I for one loved the silence of the lambs reference👍🐑

[@ronaldkaipio8324]

Liver & Chianti, Nice touch

[@emmaninakarina]

Going to start my Fava's indoors today!!! Thanks Ben! Also the only video I have on my channel is my favourite fava bean recipe, can't recommend it enough.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Emma - will take a look. :-)

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely video Emma - that does look like a cracking dish!

[@sleepinggiantssister1238]

I was waiting for the silence of the lambs reference, lol.

[@laurieanne9712]

Great ideas! Off to order the seeds now! Thanks, Ben!

[@antoinettebeck6773]

I grow them here in the Western Cape of South Africa. I have finished harvesting and have cut the plants up and left them on the ground

[@customer5032]

Oh wow, I want to try these this year, thank you! Cracked up at the Hannibal Lecter reference... 🤣

[@DonDufresne]

Scanning to see who else caught that subtle Hannibal reference. :-)

[@dlsdyer9071]

I couldn’t come up with Hannibal.. all I could think of was the protagonist, Clarise, lol.

[@carolavant3778]

LOL, Ben, you crack me up! Fava beans also seem to produce abundantly. I'll remember that when I'm having an old friend for dinner!

[@GrowVeg]

Haha - indeed Carol!

[@judithloganart8794]

Thank you for this! I grew some in the spring and got ants first which after checking on KZbin I realised was a telltale sign the black fly would be close after! I recommend spraying with a strong jet of water or Neem oil with water and washing up liquid or dish soap but I added just a tad too much washing up liquid and burned the leaves 😔. I did get a pretty good harvest nonetheless though. My husband is from Chile and I lived there for 10 years. They make a delicious salad there with broad beans. Boil them quickly in water, Blanche them, then when cool, add chopped onion, coriander, season and dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Absolutely yum.

[@GrowVeg]

Glad you managed to still get a good crop Judith. :-)

[@rubennunes708]

I eat them like that too. Try adding some paprika ;)

[@judithloganart8794]

@@rubennunes708 I’ll give it a try, thanks!

[@andersonomo597]

Perfect timing for this info as I was seriously contemplating ripping out my fava beans because the aphids are overwhelming my plants and the pods aren't setting. I'll nip out the tips and give them a stay of execution for a couple of weeks to see if I can improve my harvest beyond a tiny handful so far! Thanks Ben!

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

After each harvest I cut mine down to 1-2", leaving a few nodes above ground. They'll keep sending up more shoots that will quickly grow as big as the previous round. I'm on my 3rd harvest now from beans I planted 6 months ago, and they're still going, lol.

[@andersonomo597]

@@Jeff-rd6hb So. You j u s t HAD to make me envious, didn't you!? 🤣🤣Well, I've got baby zucchini and snow peas for the first time in years, and lettuce that's bolted, and way more silverbeet than I expected, but my bloody fava beans are really disappointing, especially as they have been so beautiful to look at. Sigh. You have to take the good with the bad, learn and improve, and be thankful that the farmers know what they're doing so we don't starve! I'm determined to get as much as I can out of my patch as I can, so I'll use your tip as another option to try before chucking the lot into the compost! Thanks!

[@mareeploetz5194]

@@Jeff-rd6hb wow. Thanks for sharing this gem. Just wondering what climate you are in. Here in central Italy the summers are very hot and long winters down to sometimes -4. I planted fava a little early and 3 week oct they are already flowering. First year that I try them.

[@Jeff-rd6hb]

@@mareeploetz5194 I'm in the US, zone 8b, about 100 miles north of Seattle, WA. It's just now getting down around 40F at night.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@Jeff-rd6hb How did they survive that hellish heat dome of the summer?

[@joedee1863]

When he said "liver and ciante" my saliva went into overdrive 👅

[@valoriegriego5212]

I love beans and fava beans are on my list to grow someday soon. 😃 Great video, Ben!👍

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Valorie. :-)

[@Rbones45]

Thankyou I am learning a lot from your show.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. :-)

[@pennythompson4790]

I adore fava beans i'm growing dwarf and climbing ones over winterxx

[@johnransom1146]

In Greek they’re gigantes. Stewed with tomatoes, dill and garlic, topped with melted cheese and served with crusty bread. A warming repast

[@plotsixtyone4188]

I believe gigantes are runner beans?

[@nikoschronaios6749]

In Greek they are called Koukia

[@nikoschronaios6749]

Gigantes are lima beans

[@plotsixtyone4188]

This is from a website selling the seed

[@johnransom1146]

I asked the waiter. Take it up with him. He was very Greek lol.

[@VFRRiderFT]

I am now marking the end of my first year working an Allotment, and boy, what a year it has been, I have gone from having a small plot full of 6' high Nettles, a rampant Bamboo and Bindweed & Couch Grass like you would believe, to a smallholding where I'm growing lots of lovely produce. So now I'm planning what goes where for next season and having been inspired by this video I am going to sow Fava Beans seeds this weekend, to not only give us an early crop of Beans, but also give us some Green Manure that we can dig into the bed at the end of it all. BTW, I'm also planning to sow Garlic next weekend, which I believe is another crop that can be overwintered in the ground.

[@GrowVeg]

Yes that's right Chris - garlic is great for overwintering. You've reminded me to get mine in the ground!

[@scrqqge]

I just boil the beans short before ready, then i bake in another pan some bacon bits when they are golden golden brown i add the beans and bake for some minutes. Really simple but i love it with some bread on a cold winter night

[@GrowVeg]

Simple but delicious I'm sure Leonard.

[@mompofelski4191]

I'm intrigued. Just this year was my first time growing Italian green beans which are a more flat variety. I always assumed they would be tough and woody, but they are wonderful. Next summer for sure I will try the fava beans. Thank you for your upbeat and informative tips.

[@Kotka67]

Fava beans are not a summer vegetable. At their best sown in autumn for an early spring harvest. The ones I sowed in spring were disappointing esp as the weather got warmer, they got diseased and they pretty much gave up.

[@GrowVeg]

Here in the UK I would hope to be picking fava/broad beans sometime in May.

[@rumpolstilscin]

I love this guys enthusiasm.

[@dianamary6170]

Fava beans are delicious and so hearty. Love them especially fresh from a garden. Maybe I will plant them one year! 🥰

[@MegaCassy11]

We make fava beans soup pure in Portugal. It's delicious! Obviously, we need to take out the outer hard layer of the bean 😊😊

[@GrowVeg]

Yum! :-)

[@olaturkiewicz11]

My fav is fava beans with chanterelles in coconut milk. You cook your fave beans, meanwhile soute some onions either in oil or ghee - that's my favourite, add some salt, then the mushrooms. Once the fava beans are cooked add them to the mushrooms and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes, then add coconut milk. Cook until fava beans are tender. I also like to break the skin of fava beans before I add them to mushrooms and onion, so they will acquire more test of the whole mixture. But that is not necessary. Buon appetite!

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds totally delicious!

[@JenB.188]

You've convinced me that I need to try fava beans this year!

[@RF33MUSIC]

Getting on that right now.

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

This is a pretty thorough guide, thanks 👍

[@janenewley1014]

Yummy… on my list to do this weekend😀😀😀

[@ritawest2535]

Love your tip of the hat to Hannibal L.! 😆

[@ryanblystone5153]

Thank you

[@Discopuss]

Lol Fava beans with liver and chianti...took me a minute...nice one!

[@Beaguins]

I could tell that was a joke, but I still don't get it.

[@customer5032]

@@Beaguins Hannibal Lecter

[@Beaguins]

@@customer5032 I think that means it's a movie reference. Thanks.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@Beaguins And a tiresome one, at that...

[@AhJodie]

Thank you!

[@smiley2477]

Awesome I got a few of these beans although I didn’t know what they were..

[@aserioussalamander9475]

excellent video uncle. I can't wait to see how they turn out

[@tomelner]

Just bought some beans to plant! Perfect timing. I'm looking for the winter cover and green manure effect for my new bed

[@GrowVeg]

These will certainly help with that. :-)