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.

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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!

 

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