How to harvest and preserve fava beans (plus my favorite way to cook them!) | Harvest and Cook

When do you harvest your fava beans? How do you know when they're ready? How do you preserve fava beans for the off-season? I'll cover it all in today's harvest and cook!
----
Welcome to Auxhart Gardening! I’m Rachel, a small-scale southern gardener growing near Clemson, SC, zone 7b. I mainly garden in-ground, with containers as secondary production spaces.
Knowing where your food comes from is powerful, and empowering, and I believe we can change the world through gardening education.
The agricultural system is broken; we’ve monocultured nearly every major crop, forcing the use of chemical pesticides and inorganic fertilizers to maintain large-scale food production. I believe there’s a better way.
By teaching people to rely on themselves, even just a little, for their food supply, we might be able to create some breathing room for our strained food system, allowing for change to start happening.
By educating people about where food comes from and how to grow it, we can raise awareness about our broken agricultural system and form a community that understands how to fix it.
By forming a community, we can move toward creating real change in the world.
My goal is to educate; yes you can grow food, yes you can do it without chemicals, yes you can do it in your backyard or on your windowsill. And yes, that can make a difference in the world.
Follow me on Instagram @auxhartgardening
/ auxhartgardening
My dad’s woodworking channel:
/ @theredtruckwoodshop2722
Contact me at: [e-mail]
Mailing Address: PO Box 614 Central, SC 29630 (can receive boxes of any size)

[@danalaurent2917]

This is my 1st year growing fava beans and the harvesting segment was super helpful! ❤

[@beaquintana5025]

This is the first time I grow them and had no idea how to harvest. Your video helped so much. Thank you!

[@akeesee11]

Wonderful video. I grew up in the Middle East, we take whole pods, boil them and eat the whole thing except the string. Other ways we take the tender pods that are not fully developed and chop them up and make a stew out of them with lamb meat served over rice and of course you add onion and garlic and peppers whatever you want. The last way we do showing all the parts except the very inner without cooking them first and then Adam with halfway cooked Basmati rice and continue cooking with dill weed and salt that is so good it's amazing. Or you could just added to the rice in the beginning for a shortcut.😊

[@giovannam925]

Like edamamme 😊

[@zarasmomproud6539]

Thank you. You saved me from harvesting too soon. My plants are heavenly to look at and so tempting to harvest. Thank you so much.

[@LISASTAUBIN-bd1mg]

Way to go, habibti! My forefathers are smiling at you!😊

[@Australian_Medicinal_Herbs]

This is my first year growing these and I found your video very helpful, so thankyou!

[@r.c.3662]

You're saying it right, Foul moudames 👍 Usually in the middle east they eat the foul (fava beans) moudames when it's dry so they cook it and then add garlic, lemon, salt and cumin pepper and smash them then finally add the olive oil on top. It's so delicious and addictive I must say 😋

[@G.W.H.]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@nyjah8100]

Thank you. Now THAT'S a tutorial. I hate those videos where people don't talk and fast foward through everything and play loud obnoxius music. Well done and I can't wait to try my fava bean recipe.

[@PreachingTruth]

With Ful Mudammas (aka Medames), I don't bother removing the skin and just make them a little more creamy like garbanzo bean humus. You get a little more harvest that way and the skin tastes the same as the bean. So good. I love the leaves as well.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Oh interesting, a lot of ppl say the skin is too tough, I'll have to try that out.

[@PreachingTruth]

@@AuxhartGardening They sure can be tough, but after using my immersion blender, you can't tell at all. I will eat them with the skins if I catch them at the perfect time of being larger and still green but I can understand why others wouldn't. I don't mind chewing my food some (some). Once they get a little starchy, they are too tough for sure. Though, I'd still just blend them smooth. A Vitamix would work well also.

[@giovannam925]

I used the leaves last week, similar to spinach 😋

[@PreachingTruth]

@@giovannam925 Truly. Most bean leaves are bitter, but this taste really nice.

[@gailthornbury291]

I am in Ireland and love to grow these beans. We call them broad beans here. I do not remove the skin because I don’t mind eating them and my sanity is too fragile to do that task

[@AuxhartGardening]

If you don't mind the skins, it is a lot of labor! I can't stand the skins personally.

[@midgepark4042]

I don't remove the outer skin, I have no problem with it and I think it is adding fiber to my diet... when I freeze them I put them separated out on a cookie sheet frozen , put them in a freezer bag when frozen and as they are loose I can use just the amount I want each time. I just boil and eat , love them ,, maybe it is the British heritage in me

[@AuxhartGardening]

I tried them once without peeling and it was just too tough for me. You're not the only UK person to mention eating the skins though. But spreading them out to freeze them is probably a good idea.

[@stevedimartino683]

Good job,congratulations.

[@donnavorce8856]

Growing foul this year first time. I'm after the fully mature dry beans. Thank you for a great presentation. One thing in my area , fava likes cool weather. I started my seeds a month prior to our last average frost day. Then set out twelve inch big plants in April.

[@ashleybones3556]

Thank you, very informative. Beautiful rings btw!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks!

[@damedesmontagnes]

Cool, thanks!

[@roslynr9767]

That was exelent! Thank you!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BarefootHugelkultur]

You are a very well-spoken person! Nicely done

[@clarissareid8266]

It's a handsome plant, it would mix in easily with the landscape. Thanks for the lesson on 'Fava', I will definitely attempt to grow this variety.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Awesome, I hope it goes well!

[@matokaknox971]

Nice video. I grew a lot of fava beans and had no idea what to do with them all. I gave away a lot. Thanks !

[@CookingLessonsforDad]

This fall I planted Fava Beans for the first time. I am excited to try them in the spring. Thanks for showing how to harvest and cook the Fave Beans!

[@annedewinnaar3285]

A really, really excellent video on fava beans, thank you so much! I've subscribed 😁

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad you've enjoyed it! Thanks for the sub!

[@annedewinnaar3285]

@@AuxhartGardening 😁👍

[@littleclay5875]

That does look good. - gonna have to give it a try thanks for posting

[@UrbanWhiteBuffaloFarm]

Hey y'all, great video I have never seen Fava beans grown before. I have never tried them either. I do think that this will be a good idea to try this year. Plus the bonus of a recipe to try in the kitchen to boot. Thank you so much Rachel C Ya next time

[@AuxhartGardening]

They're easy enough if you plant them at the right time!

[@ruthfowler390]

Very informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@Katya-zj7ni]

Lovely recipe ❤

[@jaredford8440]

Yum that looks like such a cosy heart warming dish for a rainy day 😋🌺🇳🇿

[@AuxhartGardening]

That does sound cozy!

[@gillianbc]

Great video, thank you! I'm growing broad beans for the first time this year and I think I've only ever had them in a risotto before. It's not something you see in the veg aisle of the supermarket very often. Looking forward to my first harvest and trying your recipe suggestion.

[@paulettagyurik2644]

Great video I bought favs beans this year but have not planted here in Kentucky yet God bless you and your family🥰🥰🥰

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thank you!

[@Phoenix38m]

Great Job, Rachel!!! I am going to make this....Kris and I love both love Mediterranian cooking...and this is a new one for me :)

[@AuxhartGardening]

I hope you enjoy! I had this once at a restaurant, otherwise I never would've known to look up a recipe. I think most ppl used dried or canned beans for it, but it works nicely with fresh as well.

[@midgepark4042]

forgot to add, use the tender greens in salads ,,, I know one lady that just grows the for the leaves,,, also they are great plant to improve your soil as they nitrogen fix

[@Nancy-so6wj]

Great job bestie!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Hey thanks! Also you should know I definitely just lost service the other day when you called, I'd still love to hear from you again sometime :)

[@Nancy-so6wj]

@@AuxhartGardening ok I will definitely!

[@ashaion1777]

Nice!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks!

[@lavidadeunfranciscodiario6991]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful video RaQuel when i eat favas beans i e a lot w any chile habanero scorpions serrano and lots tortillas homemade y muchas tortillas yust like that better than humberger or pizza or the restaurant food Homemade i the best in the whole world have a wonderful Day Day and DAys

[@WILLITGROW]

i do love fava beans but i have never grown them.my father would plant 1 whole acre of them back in the old days in Portugal.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Wow that's a lot!

[@WILLITGROW]

@@AuxhartGardening lol not when you have to feed 12 children.

[@lavidadeunfranciscodiario6991]

Yes we Do Favas beans i s Colorado USA

[@Saint696Anger]

I need to get one of those mortar pestles. usually just use the magic bullet

[@AuxhartGardening]

I really like mine. I used to just blend stuff instead, and I still do sometimes, but it really is a different experience with the mortar and pestle.

[@katrinahendrey9826]

Hi do you have a video on harvesting and cooking butter beans ?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I don't, sorry

[@lukustreloar7243]

Mmmmmmm 😋😋😋😋😋

[@thegrowinggardener]

My fava beans were huge, but their inner beans were small, making me feel like I was wasting a ton of food! (The pods are SO huge and fat like green beans)… your inner beans are much more substantial than mine… I guess I’ll try leaving them longer

[@georgesandhu2037]

Hi. I did make it and I put it with my home grown potatoes but I didn't really like the taste of pastes of the Fava Beans. Can I just eat them raw or put in a green smoothie? Thanks.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Yeah you can absolutely eat the fresh ones raw! Some people use them like fresh peas, I've seen them on top of salads too.

[@georgesandhu2037]

@@AuxhartGardening Thank you.

[@mervschetter3244]

You can make the fava beans grow bigger by triming the tops but I was not interested when my father in law grew them, know I am retired and have time learn?? Does any body know how to trim them to make bigger????

[@peaceandlove5214]

how many times I can cut Faba Bean plant as fodder and still can get seeds?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I'm actually not sure, I've never tested it out.

[@zarasmomproud6539]

I saw that some ppl eat the dry bean like a peanut. Any thought from anyone out there?

[@rebeccalamb6311]

This looks incredibly tedious!! They better be super yummy!

[@AuxhartGardening]

It is tedious, but they are delicious and have a high nutrient density.

[@AW-uv3cb]

they are super yummy and you don't even need to skin them, you might enjoy them more with skins on! I used to hate them as a child, then learned to love them later on (skinned them before eating), now I just eat them whole (apparently the skins are quite healthy). You can just eat them cooked without anything (where I'm from we cook them with fresh dill), or you can serve them with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, or my favourite way recently is a simple salad: beans, tomatoes and mozzarella plus a simple dressing from olive oil and fresh garlic (add herbs to your liking)

[@SEaudiofan]

I undersrand some folks unfortunatrly have bean alleries, (favism) which can be quite serious. So maybe dont go hog wild eating them the 1st time. My understanfing is, you woulf have problems with other beans alsi, so you'd probably already be aware of the issue.

[@MyrrandaAdams]

Where do you get your fava bean seeds?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I've gotten mine from Baker Creek in the past, but I've been putting more effort into getting seeds locally when I can and encourage others to do the same. Locally grown seeds will be better adapted to your climate and you can help smaller businesses out in the process.

[@annabelince8869]

Wee bit too much salt in the water ?!!!!!!