Topic: Fava beans

[caroline7758]

Has anyone grown fava beans? My husband was complaining he couldn't find any in the supermarket and while looking online I came across this article:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/02/fava-beans-nick-saltmarsh

[Pescador]

Fava beans are Vicia faba, broad or field beans, just dried and stored.

[Digeroo]

You can normally buy frozen ones at this time of year.  I suggest he is a trio of months or so too soon for fresh ones.  I also have a packet of the Hodmedods dried ones got them in a local garden centre with an upmarket food department. 

They are popular in Egypt, which is odd since they do not grow well there.

What form is your OH looking for.

I am certainly growing them, they first batch have a tiny green shoot and the overwinter ones are just beginning to perk up.

[Duke Ellington]

I thought fava beans were broad beans. I've bought frozen ones from Sainsburys.

[galina]

Maybe look for broadbeans:
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsburys-price-comparison/Frozen_Vegetables/Sainsburys_British_Broad_Beans_750g.html

Iceland also have them quite often.  Good luck finding some.   

[caroline7758]

yes, after posting that I found several others saying they are the same as broad beans. Doh! Apparently Yotam Otterwhatsit says they make better humus than chickpeas.

[gray1720]

I hear they go well with liver and chianti...

Adrian

[Palustris]

Had fields of them here last year and no doubt there will be more this as they are a good cash crop. they are harvested dry and ground up to make a flour for use in Arab cooking.
They are easy enough to grow, but the beans are much smaller than something like Longpod say and you need to pick them very young as the skin gets tough very quickly.