Fava Beans

Fava beans are ready to eat in June, before most of the summer crops have come along. Favas are a "broad bean", that, unlike most of the beans we eat, which are native to Mesoamerica, originated in the Old World. For the time they are here they make a delicious seasonal food.

WARNING! There is a rare genetic deficiency that affects some people and can lead to health problems if they eat fava beans. This condition is relatively rare and usually detected by childhood, but if you have never eaten fava beans before we recommend you check out www.g6pd.org to learn more.

Cooking Tips

When you receive your fava beans, you can remove them from their shell and compost the shells. The beans must be cooked for about three to five minutes in boiling water, and should not be eaten raw. Once cooked, the purplish outer skin of the beans can be removed if you prefer, but it is not necessary with our fresh, young favas. Now the beans are ready to eat; they are delicious as they are, or they can be tossed in a dressing and served as a snack or with a salad. Sauté them with some garlic or onion, or add them to a stew. Try looking up some recipes from North Africa or the Middle East, where favas have been enjoyed for thousands of years, and are often used as the base of hummus, foul and falafel.

Storage Tips

These fresh favas are best left in their pods and stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to a week. Shell them and clean them when you are ready to use them, and try to enjoy them as soon as possible before they lose their sweetness.

Nutrition

Fava beans are low in calories, high in protein, plus contain lots of iron and fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

History

Fava beans are native to the eastern Mediterranean, where they have been cultivated since 6000 BC. They have also had an important place in the cuisine of China for over 5000 years. In warmer climates they can be grown and harvested in the winter, a desirable quality for a crop. We grow favas throughout the winter here at Sauvie Island Organics, but for a different desirable quality possessed by these beans; fava beans are an excellent cover crop for adding nitrogen into the soil. These plants are often seeded in along with rye, vetch, or clover in the fall, and allowed to grow until the spring when they are plowed in, along with all of the valuable nitrogen they have created.