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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: PJW_Letchworth on July 14, 2008, 23:36:05
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Hi All,
Just wondering how everyone is getting on with their broad beans? We've been cropping them for a few weeks now.
My Dad has had to take over the plot for a little while (thanks Dad) due to me damaging the tendons in my ankle and not being able to crouch easily. :( Ouch!
So far he has picked about 14lbs of beans, and this is the shelled weight not the picked weight. The plants are still smothered with little pods so it looks like a bumper year! We have about 50 plants give or take a few as I'm sure the slugs have had a couple.
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Congratulations, you have done very well.
The germination of mine this year was poor and I virtually had to strt again, but here's hoping........
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We have had a few and more needing picked just now.
But i'm not too sure I like them that much ;)
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I havent started picking mine yet but they are bulking up nicely. :)
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been picking mine for 3 weeks and there's still tons! Unlike lots of other stuff thats been a bit dodgy.
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Mine have all bean & gone!
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started picking ours today - sown in situ early spring masses on them x2 varieties - can't wait to keep picking ;D
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Started picking the autumn-sown ones towards the end of May; they've finished now, but we're still eating our way through the spring-sown. But I always go for as early a crop as possible, so we get them when there's not a lot else around. When we've got french beans & peas to eat, broad beans always seem less interesting.
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i had a few off the first plants but also had to replant and if the amount of flowers on there are anything to go by we should have loads, fingers crossed
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I lost half my Aquadulce Claudia over winter, then got masses of beans off the survivors. Grando Violetto hasn't been much good but I'm going to keep seed and try again. Crimson-flowered is still in pots.
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Best year for BB's for us for ages. Tried Witkem Manita this year.
And since someone told me about 'double shucking' I now can't get enough of them! But they started to go over so now I have a potato sack full to the brim to shell tonight.
Broad beans, pancetta and onions with a splash of olive oil mmmmmm
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Double shucking? Sounds interesting. Tell me more!
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Its fiddly! Basically its boiling them a little until you can get the outer waxy skin off and you are left with the 2 green beans inside. Without the tough skin they are so sweet and a vibrant green.
I never used to like them much but now look forward to them,
rbt
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I reckon young broad beans knock spots off any french or runner beans for taste.
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I agree, although I have been having them once a day at least for about 2 weeks now and only just finished the red epicure - which were delicious - the beans just picked as they start to blush. Stereo are just getting big enough to pick!
OH doesn't like them so I get them all to myself. Pity the season will be over in a few more weeks and I will have to wait for next year.
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I can think of nothing nicer than my Mum's home made steak and kidney pie with mashed potatoes, broad beans and lots of thick gravy. :P It takes me back to my childhood. ;D
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read or heard some where that once they stop cropping you can cut them down and theyll go again is this true?
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i will overwinter some Aquadulce again but next time I must remember to eat them when they are young and tiny! once they get big I don't fancy them as much...
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read or heard some where that once they stop cropping you can cut them down and theyll go again is this true?
I was told this at the weekend by a seasoned gardner. He thouhgt i might of felt better as I have now dug all mine up !!
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I think its the small suckers at the base that grow on a bit and produce some beans.
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Double shucking? Sounds interesting. Tell me more!
What it means is that you have allowed the beans to get so big and tough that you need to skin the horrid very tough beans.
Picked at their prime, ie very small, broad beans are wonderful.
If you leave them until they need 'skinning', the best place for them is the compost bin.
valmarg
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Double shucking sounds too much like hard work. I'd prefer to send a minion to the plot to pick the young and tender ones. We've still got some left, have eaten a lot and frozen 2-3 kilos.
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It isn't really hard work, just a bit tedious, however well worth the effort for the vibrant green colour of the peeled beans. I love the baby ones but leave some to get larger just for the pleasure of seeing them.
My favourite recipe from Nick Nairn:
600g baby plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper
2 fresh thyme sprigs
700g broad beans in the pod to give about 350g podded beans or 350g frozen broad beans
Little plum tomatoes go in the oven preheated to 200 degrees with olive oil, seasoning and sprigs of fresh thyme all sort of rolled about to coat the tomatoes with oil and seasoning. They're roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes start collapsing slightly and are beginning to brown.
Meanwhile if using fresh beans take them out of their furry pods, blanch for 1 minute in boiling water. Drain and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to cool them down quickly. Drain again then pop them out of their skins. ( Fiddly but worth it for the fabulous colour and texture.) Frozen beans are exactly the same except they get cooked longer - 2-3 minutes.
Whip the tomatoes out of the oven and mix in the beans. pop back in the oven for a few minutes to reheat the beans. Serve and enjoy!
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Double shucking? Sounds interesting. Tell me more!
What it means is that you have allowed the beans to get so big and tough that you need to skin the horrid very tough beans.
If you leave them until they need 'skinning', the best place for them is the compost bin.
valmarg
What prescriptive and ill founded nonsense!
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My Broad Beans have been very disappointing. They got infested with black fly and appear to have suffered because of this. The pods are hard and have black crusty bits on them. Only about 3 pods per plant. I had loads of flowers on them, but little crop. I was told that they were easy to grow, but have been a bit of a waste of time for me. Still, I'll try again next year...
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Ive only got 3 flowers on 4 plants!
Oh well, hopefully Ill get to try just ONE!
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I wouldnt worry too much about the black fly - we get them every year but quickly followed by hoardes of ladybirds which are nice to see.
Keep trying they are worth it ;).
rbt
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What prescriptive and ill founded nonsense!
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Well ducky, we'll have to agree to disagree. ;D
If broad beans have been allowed to get so large that the individual beans need skinning, then all you get is tasteless pap, and a lot of roughage. Better on the compost heap.
What you pretentiously call 'prescriptive and ill founded nonsense!' we call personal experience. ;D
valmarg
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valmarg,
I agree. I have suffered with the 'Toxic Manure' probs. Sporadic with the broad beans but I eat what's available. If they get big, they are still edible.
I love broad beans!
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Hi Tyke,
I sowed the beans during late November. They were up a couple of inches by Christmas. My Grandad always said if they are planted in November then they wouldn't get so many black fly. None of my beans have fly. We pinched the tops out when they were a good height and I believe this also helps to stop the fly. Some of the beans did not germinate as I think a mouse had a few but we replaced them with some we planted in Spring. They are a little shorter but soon caught up.
I can only say to keep trying. I grew Imperial Green Long Pod. Perhaps you could try a different variety.
Good luck!
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It's perfectly true that they don't get many blackfly if they're planted in autumn, but mostly they're not really affected anyway. The aphids worry gardeners much more than they do the plant. This year I had plants damaged for the first time. The question is, is it the variety or the season? I'll give them another try next year and see.
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I'm green with envy. Everyone else (including people on my allotment site) seems to have had huge success with broad beans this year. My own were doing well until a few weeks ago when a very bad case of chocolate spot just about finished them off. I think they may have had too much nitrogen. Or the soil may have been too heavy. Another theory was that they were planted too close to onions and garlic which they don't like.
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We have had chocolate spot in the past, but find it doesn't affect the beans, so you shouldn't give up, and sling the plants. ;D
I should have to say that we have had a very good year this year.
The variety we grow is Imperial Green Longpod, and it is delicious. Picked while the pods are quite small, and just showing beans is best. The beans are small and juicy.
There was another post on here recommending steaming broad bean sprouts. The plants are flowering right up to the tips, so haven't been able to try them
valmarg
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We have had chocolate spot in the past, but find it doesn't affect the beans, so you shouldn't give up, and sling the plants. ;D
I should have to say that we have had a very good year this year.
The variety we grow is Imperial Green Longpod, and it is delicious. Picked while the pods are quite small, and just showing beans is best. The beans are small and juicy.
There was another post on here recommending steaming broad bean sprouts. The plants are flowering right up to the tips, so haven't been able to try them
valmarg
Thanks. Unfortunately my chocolate spot was so severe that it did affect the entire plants, including the pods. The beans turned black. But I am certainly going to keep trying as I much prefer broad beans to any other kind of bean.
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My Grandad always said if they are planted in November then they wouldn't get so many black fly. ..None of my beans have fly. We pinched the tops out when they were a good height and I believe this also helps to stop the fly.
I can only say to keep trying.
Good luck!
thanks - i think i will sow them in autumn this year. mine only got about 9-12 inches tall and looked shabby. It will be my challenge for next year!
Chocolate spot? My pods were going black on the outside, but the leaves were fine.
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valmarg,
I agree. I have suffered with the 'Toxic Manure' probs. Sporadic with the broad beans but I eat what's available. If they get big, they are still edible.
I love broad beans!
I sort of agree, but broad beans is a veg that we only ever eat home grown. Would never, ever consider shop/supermarket bought. I was in a supermarket yesterday morning, and the broad beans on offer were dreadful. It was obvious that the beans were going to be very large, and the individual beans in need of skinning.
We haven't got room to grow many, but have had, and are still having a very good crop this year.
I pick them early, when the beans are just showing in the pods, and they are beautifully tender.
valmarg