They are sometimes also called broad beans, broad beans or field beans and have been somewhat forgotten in German vegetable beds in recent years. Nevertheless, the broad beans taste extremely delicious. If you want to enjoy the delicious kernels very soon, you should plant the - as they are called in Central German - savvy (because thick and plump) beans in the ground now.
The flower of the broad bean is pretty to look at
First of all: The peel can definitely not be used and is inedible. After the harvest, only the pods are broken open and the cores are loosened inside. This is why the lush green fruits that ripen do not belong to the botanical group of beans, but are a type of vetch family.
The "Hangdown Grünkernig" and the "Triple White" are among the excellent growing species in our latitudes. If you prefer the fruit to be dark brown in the pot and on the plate: the “red seed” not only has an excellent taste, but can also be easily preserved as a dried bean for the winter.
Cultivation of broad beans
The best harvest results are obtained when the seeds are sown in small pots as early as mid-January. The young plants can be outdoors four weeks later and should be used in such a way that their roots are covered with soil at least two centimeters deep. For direct sowing outdoors, care must be taken to ensure that the soil is as dry as possible. Six centimeters deep with a hand's breadth between them, the little plants can then develop optimally. Broad bean lovers have to be patient for between 75 and 100 days between sowing and harvesting, depending on the weather.
For better eaters: Broad beans with Parma ham
Although peeling is done relatively quickly with reasonably practiced hands, broad beans have a fairly high percentage of waste. As an approximate guideline, if you use two kilograms of freshly harvested pods, you can expect around 500 grams of ready-to-cook kernels. No matter which dish you choose: Due to the high glucoside content, the beans are at least blanched, even if they are sometimes eaten raw, for example in Italian cuisine. We can recommend our recipe idea, which has been tested several times and is guaranteed to be on the family dining table without allergenic substances.
The ingredients needed for four people are:
- 200 grams of bean seeds;
- 30 ml olive oil;
- Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar;
- Two medium-sized tomatoes;
- A fresh spring onion;
- about 150 grams of thinly sliced Parma ham;
- Four basil leaves, plus pepper and sugar to taste;
Preparation in order
1. The broad beans are first blanched in boiling salted water for about five minutes, then quenched in ice water. After further cooling, the now somewhat dry kernels are pressed individually between the index finger and thumb until their outer skin bursts open. At the end, mix all the seeds obtained in this way with the olive oil, sugar, pepper and vinegar and leave to stand for a few minutes.
2. In the meantime, the two tomatoes are scalded, also quenched and skinned before they are halved, deseeded and cut into smaller cubes. Clean and wash the onion and then cut into small rolls. Now rinse the basil, pat dry with kitchen paper and also cut into smaller slices.
3. Almost done, because now the slices of Parma ham are laid out next to each other on the plates. Beans, diced tomatoes, basil and the onion rolls now only have to be mixed together and distributed on the ham.
We recommend serving oven-fresh baguettes as a filling side dish that goes well with this and wish you a good appetite.