Field beans are actually not beans, but belong to the vetch family. Accordingly, their use is also slightly different. In the case of field beans, the pod cannot be eaten. Nevertheless, field beans can also be harvested green. Find out below when and how to harvest and how to make delicious use of your broad beans.
Broad beans are usually harvested green
The many faces of the broad bean
The field bean has many names that reflect its use and appearance: It is also called horse, cow or broad bean because it is often grown as feed for horses or pigs. It owes its name to the broad bean or broad bean because of its appearance, and it is called the fava or fava bean because of its botanical name Vicia Faba.
Harvest green broad beans
In Central Europe, it is customary to harvest broad beans when they are still green and crisp.
When are green broad beans harvested?
The time of harvest is around 100 days after sowing, when the pods are bulging and the beans are clearly rounded. You can also crack open a broad bean to try it out. The beans should be a nice light green color and about the size of your thumb nail. Since field beans are sown in February or March at the latest, the harvest time is usually between mid-May and early July.
How are broad beans harvested?
The green pods can be snapped off with your finger, but can also be cut off with pruning shears or a sharp knife.
pick fava beans
Most of the work involved in harvesting field beans is not actually the harvest itself, but the subsequent picking. It's best to invite a few friends over or watch TV, because that takes time. The beans have to be pulled out of the pods individually, as the pods are not edible.
Harvest field beans dry
In other cultures, such as Latin America, it is common to let the broad beans dry on the plant. This is also done in Central Europe if the broad beans are to be stored dry for the winter, for example, or if seed is to be obtained. To do this, let the field beans dry on the plant. The time of harvest is much later here and can be easily identified acoustically: Just shake a pod vigorously and listen: If the beans rattle in the pod, you can harvest.
tips
When cooking your broad beans, keep in mind that green beans have a significantly shorter cooking time than dried ones. Therefore, soak the dried broad beans overnight before cooking to save energy and cooking time.