FAVA
BEANS
(Haricots; broad beans, feves): [Vicia faba].
Fava beans are the "common" bean of
Europe, indeed are the only "old world" bean. Fava beans
are classified as a legume, but are not "beans" at all,
rather should be classified with vetches. As such, less
than 1 % of people are allergic to uncooked fava beans.
Having different amino acids than true legumes, however,
those who are allergic to legumes (about 10%) are seldom
allergic to fava s.
Fava beans are classified as legumes
because they produce a "bean," and because they fix
nitrogen in the soil. Garden beans (p. vulgaris) and peas
will fix 60 to 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre, clovers up
to 100 pounds, and fava s the best of all-- up to 200
pounds of nitrogen per acre. Sixty pounds of nitrogen per
acre is enough to feed a succeeding crop of beets,
carrots, etc. One-hundred pounds will feed corn, lettuce,
or squash. Two-hundred pounds of nitrogen per acre is
sufficient to grow the heaviest feeders--the
Brassica s.
Fava s are excellent at rejuvenating
older garden sites. One-third of the plot can be
overwintered with fava s twice, with the second season's
crop being tilled under in spring as green manure,
followed by row crops. Then another third of the garden
can be rotated into fava s, etc. If no irrigation or
manure is used, fava s also help reduce the symphylan
population considerably. And best of all, overwintered
fava s produce the best crop of nectar and pollen at
about the middle of January-- right when our bees need
the early boost for maximum production.
The
Secret Garden
This booklet develops
the concept that gardening in the new Millennium
may be very different, and presents plans on
survival gardening, maximum yield of edibles per
area, how to make a "French Intensive" garden as
well as an all-year vegetable garden. Booklet
$3.95. Order
here.
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Fava beans may grow 6 feet high by
late May, and make excellent silage or green manure. They
are very tolerant of heavy, wet winter clay soils. Their
extensive root system breaks up soil to 2 feet deep, and
brings up soluble nutrients from 10 feet deep. Fava s are
the only "legume" which we can overwinter successfully in
a maritime climate, as they are frost hardy to about
7̊F.
For human consumption, fava beans can
be harvested very early (say February or March) and eaten
as with peas, pod and all. As the beans mature in the
pod, they can be eaten as shelled lima beans. When mature
and dried, they can be preserved easily without any
special preservation techniques or energy consumption,
and used in place of lima beans in any lima recipe. Since
fava s usually require no fertilizer or irrigation and
like our soils and weather, and can be consumed at
various stages in their growth, they may well considered
an excellent survival food crop.
FAVA BEANS (Aquadulce Claudia): LARGE
SEEDED VARIETY. A.K.A. broad beans, winter beans, horse
beans (English), or feves (French). 240 days overwinter
sown, 130-- 150 days spring sown. To sow: overwinter, sow
9/15 to 10/15, seeds 5" apart, 11/2" deep, in rows at
least 1 foot apart. Best eating, but less production than
Banner.
FAVA BEANS (Banner): [Vicia faba].
Small-seeded English variety--best eating of the smaller
types, and most cold-hardy. Best production, with at
least 48 seeds returned for every one planted. 250-280
days overwinter sown, 140-160 days spring sown. Plant as
above, seeds to 1" deep.
RECIPE, from "Everyday French
Cooking." [Use any recipe for lima beans]. 2 cups shelled
young beans, boiling water, salt, 1 tablespoon butter, 2
table- spoons heavy cream (optional), 1 /1 6 tsp ground
black pepper. Wash the beans and place in saucepan with
1" boiling water and -! tsp salt. Cover, bring to boiling
point, cook 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain
well. Add butter, cream (if used), and pepper. Mix
lightly. Heat -! minute. Adjust salt. Serve promptly. We
can consider ourselves blessed. We have our honeybees.
Our maritime climate has a benevolent nature. We have
seeds - and the knowledge of how to grow them. We have
each other for kindness and decent support. Yes, we are
fortunate. Those who think otherwise should read Ayn
Rand's "We The Living" - then they too will know!