Fava beans, or broad beans, are one of the oldest know cultivated plants carbon dated to over 10,000 years ago according to research published in an online paper in the journal of Scientific Reports. They are a major crop in many countries, but not very popular in the United States – probably because it takes so much time to prepare them (LOL)!?  But, believe me, the time and effort are worth it after you have tasted these delicate, buttery, nutty flavored beans.

The plant is like a pea plant.  The pods can be harvested young and eaten whole or let them grow until they are big and bumpy, and then eat the bean inside the pod.  The pod can be left on the plant until the both the pod and beans are dry.

Fava beans can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, stewed, mashed, sautéed, fried, or roasted.

Freezing is a good way to preserve fava beans.  Here is a step-by-step guide to harvesting and freezing fava beans.

 

Step 1.  Harvest the beans.  Look for large green pods that feel like there are little balls inside.

                                                                              Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 2.  Remove the beans from the pod.

                                                  Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

After the beans are removed from the pods, you will have a beautiful bowl of shelled beans.

                                                                                                                 Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 3.  Put the beans in a colander and rinse with cold running water.

                                                                           Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 4.  Now it's time to cook the beans and get them ready to freeze.  For best quality, it's recommended to fully cook the beans. (There is no approved method for blanching fava beans before freezing.) Bring the water to a boil.  Add some beans and bring back to a boil. You want to cook the beans in small batches to prevent over cooking.  Cook each batch for about 4 minutes.

                                                                          Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 5.  Remove the beans from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water.  Let the beans sit in the icy water for about 4 minutes to cool completely.

                                                                                            Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 6.  Place the beans on a clean towel and dry.  Put the dry beans in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, nonstick foil, or waxed paper to prevent sticking.  This method of freezing is called Individually Quick Frozen (IQF).  It's a great way to freeze small sized foods and prevents them from freezing in a “clump”.    Place the tray with the beans in the freezer for about 2 hours. 

Speaking of “clump” – don't make the same mistake I did.  I removed the outer layer of skin before layering the beans on the cookie sheet, froze them, placed them in a bag in the freezer and ended up with a wad of fava beans stuck together!  Apparently, if the skin is removed, the bean remains moist and they will freeze together.  I find leaving the skin on, also protects the bean from freezer burn and they have a fresher texture after thawing.  Read more about when and how to remove the outer skin in Step 9.

                                                                                                                                              Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 7.  When the beans are frozen, place them in a freezer safe bag or container.  If you have a vacuum sealer, now is a good time to use it.  Label the container with the name and date they were frozen.

                                                                          Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 8.  The beans are frozen.  Now what?  When you are ready to eat some, remove the amount you want from the container.  Place the beans in a bowl of lukewarm water.

                                                                                                                 Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Step 9.  There is a layer of skin that needs to be removed.  Yes, that is correct…another layer to be removed before you get to that yummy bean!  Remember, I mentioned earlier not to remove the layer of skin until now?  Put a small hole in the skin with your finger and pop the bean out.  It's quick and easy!

                                                                                              Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Now you have a nice bunch of fava beans that are ready to eat.

                                                                                                                                         Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

Fava beans can be eaten cold (add them to a salad or munch on them as a snack). Or, they can be heated as a side dish, added into stew, fried rice, or used in a recipe in place of peas. 

Here's my favorite recipe which is quick and easy.  It takes less than five (5) minutes to cook. 

Sautéed Fava Beans 

1 c. fava beans, thawed and shelled (skin removed)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped 

Heat olive oil in a pan.  Add garlic and sauté just to soften, about a minute.  Add beans, salt, and pepper.  Continue sautéing until mixture is almost heated through.  Top with basil, stir, and continue sautéing until basil is wilted and beans are completed heated.

                     Photo credit: Lynn Pastusak

This is a yummy side dish with lemon rice and crab cakes.

 

By Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County

 

It's May and everything is growing beautifully, including weeds. Even if your garden is exceptionally well-weeded, new invaders will creep in and demand attention. Our general reaction is to remove them as soon as we realize that we have them, and we think of a good, tidy garden as one that is free of weeds.

 

In general, until you are comfortable with weed identification, keeping your garden entirely free of things that you did not plant is a good approach. However, weeds can also provide some benefits, so learning about the different weeds can help you decide whether you just might let certain ones grow for a while. Over time, you may make friends with certain weeds and make them part of the cycle of your garden.

 

So what is a weed? Most commonly we consider something a weed if it is growing somewhere we don't want it to. Those California poppies you love in your flower beds just might be a weed if they start growing in your vegetable bed. I was surprised to learn that some people consider miner's lettuce, an edible California native that I carefully cultivated in my garden, a weed.

 

How can weeds actually be beneficial? Some weeds are edible, many can supplement your compost, and some help loosen the soil. They may provide erosion control and dust control. Some provide food or habitat for pollinators and other wild animals.

 

In addition, weeds can teach us about our soil. Certain weeds prefer specific soil conditions, so if you have those weeds, you can assume that your soil has those characteristics.

 

Common edible weeds include purslane, dandelion, lamb's quarters, nettles, fennel and chickweed. If you're not sure what you're looking at (you only know it's not something you planted), you can use the weed identification tutorials and information on the University of California Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) site. If you're going to eat weeds (the ultimate revenge), use common sense. Never eat anything if you're not totally certain you've identified it correctly.

 

Many weeds make good additions to your compost or can serve as mulch. Annual weeds that have not developed flowers can be chopped up and left in place, although in winter and in moist areas of your garden, you have to make sure they don't re-root. You can also chop them and add them to your compost bin.

 

Those parts of perennial weeds that won't re-sprout can also be added to compost or used as mulch. With perennial weeds, though, it's important to know how they propagate so you don't inadvertently spread a problem. If a perennial weed has not flowered, you can also let it dry out completely (think completely crispy and brown) and then put it into your compost.

 

Some weeds improve soil by growing deep roots that break up the subsoil (the layer immediately below the topsoil). That allows the weaker roots of more delicate plants to access the water and nutrients there. Some common weeds with deep, strong roots include wild chicory, plantain, sow thistle and vetch, as well as lamb's quarter and purslane. Cut these weeds off at the soil surface before they start to flower. The roots will decay in place, adding organic matter to your soil. The tops can go into your compost. You'll get the most benefit if you keep these weeds fairly far apart; if they grow close together their roots won't penetrate as deeply.

 

Some weeds are great for attracting pollinators. However, you have to let the weeds flower. The mustard we see flowering in Napa Valley vineyards is one example. Fennel, wild radish and pigweed are other examples of weeds that are good pollinator plants. Pull them as soon as they have bloomed, and do not put the spent flowers in your compost.

 

Weeds can also act as living mulch. This feature can be particularly helpful in winter, if you are not growing vegetables or an intentional crop such as fava beans. Almost any annual weed can serve as living mulch. (You do not want to give perennial weeds the benefit of extra growing time.) Some annual weeds, such as chickweed and purslane, will form a mat as they grow and thus help suppress other weeds.

 

Finally, weeds give you clues about what is going on with your soil. Like other plants, weeds have specific soil preferences.  Chicory, purslane and lamb's quarters are generally good news because they indicate rich soils. Thistles, wild turnip and bindweed, on the other hand, can indicate that you have compacted soil or a crusted soil surface. Poor drainage can be indicated by weeds such as sedges and Bermuda grass.

 

Research your weeds and learn what they tell you about your garden. Whether as indicators, food or soil improvers, weeds can be garden helpers, too.

 

Weed photo gallery list from UC IPM is here, a LIST OF ALL WEEDS. Find the common name to see a photo.

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/weeds_all.html

 

If you wish to ID the weed, use the UC IPM weed ID tool here:

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html

 

 

The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County are volunteers who provide University of California research-based information on home gardening. To find out more about home gardening or upcoming programs, visit the Master Gardener website (napamg.ucanr.edu). Our office is temporarily closed but we are answering questions remotely and by email. Send your gardening questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a phone message at 707-253-4143 and a Master Gardener will respond shortly.  

A Daily Practice

I make it a daily practice to walk the garden and check-in on the plants. With each hot day that passes, I find that there is always something new that surfaces. The birds come to land on the branches of the fig tree, while others land in the avocado tree and settle into the bottle brush. Pollinators buzz throughout, feasting on all that abounds. Evidence of their presence is visible through the various plants that signify transition. Faded blossoms begin to drop, and in their place seeds begin to expand and form. Being a witness to this process always fills me with a great sense of wonder and awe. 

A Precious Gift

Two years ago, we received 10 fava beans from our dear friends. The seeds originated from the Sacred Valley region of Peru where they were hand-selected for a distinct spiral pattern on the seed coat. Starting with just a few seeds, we decided to grow this plant out in our urban garden in Midtown Santa Cruz. After successful plantings, I gently gathered these the dried pods of the newly formed fava beans. 

I began by removing the fava beans from their seedpods. I then separated the seeds with the distinct spiral pattern from the ones with solid seed coats. I will save the seeds with the patterned seed coat for future plantings, and utilize the seeds with the plain seed coats for food. 

Selecting Seed Adapted to Our Bioregion

The spicy mustard greens that generously fed us over the late winter and spring season have also since gone to seed. I harvested the seed heads and set them to dry on a large repurposed bed sheet. When fully dry, I will gently stomp on these seedpods, and sift them through fine screens to separate the seed from the chaff. The plants that did particularly well in our bioregion are the ones that we save. Over time, seed that is hand-selected in a place can become well adapted to the environmental conditions of that specific location. There are many features to save seed for, including taste, size, texture, color, drought resistance, disease resistance and overall health.

How I Save my Seeds

After gathering seed, I begin by sifting out any unnecessary plant matter. I compost any remaining plant matter, leaving only the winnowed seed for storage. This helps maintain integrity of the seed, as seeds stored with excess plant matter have a shorter shelf life and have a greater tendency to rot. Depending on the seed I am saving, I make use of a series of seed sifting screens, or winnow the seeds using wind (or my breath) and a basket. 

When dry and ready, you can begin storing your seed. Seed is well kept in a glass jar. Be sure to label each jar with the name of the plant, the date in which you collected the seed, and the location the seed was collected from. Keep in mind that seeds are living! It is best to store your seeds in a cool, dry, dark/shady space away from sunlight. 

Final Thoughts...

From repeated observation, we note that from one seed comes many. When I have an abundance, I love to share bio-regionally adapted seeds with neighbors and friends, knowing they may be more empowered to grow their own food, medicine, or tend to native plant habitats, all while providing a sanctuary for the many diverse pollinators of our region and world.

Have you inherited any seeds with an interesting story? What is blooming or going to seed in your garden at this time? To read more about saving vegetables seeds, check out this blog post.

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog so that you receive an email notification when a new post goes up. If you have questions, contact us online, by phone or in person to get answers to your gardening quandaries!