Mrs. Frodo,

I believe George will have an answer for you since he grows fava beans.

As far as I know, fava beans planted in Sept.-Oct. normally would bloom and produce beans in March-May. I don't know if that info helps any since yours are not behaving as expected and it is already late in April.

I belive fava beans are most likely daylength-sensitive like onions are, but I've neve seen it discussed anywhere. I know we had a discussion at the plant swap with George about most soybeans being daylength-sensitive, and in the past, he and I have discussed certain other beans being daylength sensitive. If the favas are daylength sensitive, they won't set pods until the right number of hours of daylight arrives.

If for some reason George is not on the forum for a couple of days, you might try asking this at the Bean, Legume and Pea Forum. I am certain that someone there grows favas.

Good luck,

Dawn

Well, I finally got a few pods. How do I know when they are ready to harvest? What do I do with them when they are harvested? I read a thread on fava beans in the Arkansas forun. It said to boil, remove the outer bean, and then you eat the inner bean. Once person said they would eat the whole bean raw as well as the leaves. What do you think?

Broad beans were an experiment. The catalog description said they favored cool weather, so I decided to try planting in the fall(Sept. 1). I knew they would take longer to mature, but I didn't think they would take this long. They have pretty flowers with a nice fragrance if enough are grown together. And they can be used for a cover crop. Even if I don't ever eat one, I consider this experiment a success.

Glad to hear that they are producing. This is when I'd expect them to. I haven't tried them in Oklahoma yet.

When they are very green and tender you just shell them out like peas and cook them like shell beans. I think Dawn's descriptions are good. The one thing to keep in mind is that when they begin to mature a bit you will have to separate the seed from a fiberous casing inside the pod. Also, if left for dry beans one needs to peal off the outer skin of the seed before cooking. In Mexico, in areas where favas are common, they actually sell a small hooked knife specially for this task.

I love favas in soup at any stage. The less mature beans make a nice "bean." The really mature, dry beans, when shelled from their skins and cooked fall apart, producing a yellow paste. This paste can thicken a soup. Or, it can be cooked separated and used to stuff between corn masa to produce Tlayoyos. (Hope I spelled that right!)

I won't be around much for a while. We're getting really close the wedding. Also, I came down with a TERRIBLE cold or flu and am lacking energy, etc. I was tempted, when sitting in urgent care, yesterday, to "oink." But probably I'd be the only one thinking of the humor of it : ) Plus, that would have hurt my throat too much!

George

George,

I'm glad you mentioned the casing. I couldn't think of what to call it--I was stuck on the word "membrane" but that didn't sound right, so I was hoping you'd come along and describe it.

I hope you're feeling better soon. Take good care of yourself and get well before the wedding.

See you back here again when you're over the cold/flu and the wedding is over. I hope (and expect) the wedding will happen just as planned (an am hoping it is not an outdoor wedding)!

Dawn

I love Fava Beans, but have had problems growing them here in Oklahoma. They sometimes get some kind of fungi or pest on them. I spray with a soapy water solution and that seems to help.
When the pods get large enough, say 5 to 7 inches, I harvest them and shell them, then blanch the seed/beans. After removing the outer casing, I just give each one a "squeeze" and out comes the tender bean inside. Then they are ready to prepare in your recipe.They won't need much cooking in that tender stage.
They can be prepared many ways, and there are lots of recipes on the Internet, mostly Mediterranean, since they are grown abundantly in that region.
One of my very favorite ways to prepare them is in a very simple garlic Extra Virgin Olive oil base, lightly sauteed, and tossed with pine nuts and a good parmesan cheese on Penne pasta, or spagetti, served with a good Mediterranean salad with lots of Okie tomatoes, and crusty bread with a small glass of red wine. It just doesn't get much better than that.
The thing about Fava beans is that some folks are sensitive to the dopamine in the bean. I think it's helpful for those who have Parkinson's or tremors, and have used it for that purpose on a dear relative who shook so bad she couldn't lift a fork to her mouth without shaking. It really calmed the shakiness.
This is not to be taken as "medical advice", it's merely anecdotal, but interesting to know about the medicinal components the good LORD has put in our food for nourishment, enjoyment and healing.
In any case, favas are a challenging, nutritious, and interesting crop to grow for variety on the table.

Are fava beans the same thing as Edamame?

That's interesting about the medicinal value of these beans. I've never grown fava before, and have never eaten it or Edamame either, so I might see about trying it one day.

DGS has A.D.D. Do you think the Dopamine in the fava would help or hurt?

Ilene,

Edamame are soybeans. In some cultures fava beans are spiced or salted and eaten the same way that soybeans are eaten as edamame and, in the countries where they are eaten that way, they are called by various names, but not edamame.

Favas have several interesting medical connections. In addition to the L-dopa and Parkinson's Disease connection, some people believe they help relieve high blood pressure and they are said to have a Viagra type effect in some people. However, for other people, the medical connection can be a dangerous one. In people with a specific, rare genetic disease, eating fava beans can cause a rare form of anemia often referred to as "favism". And, for people taking MAO inhibitors, fava beans are also a no-no. I've never heard of them being used for ADD. Maybe Shekanahh knows if they've been used for ADD.

Dawn

George, get well soon.

I planted fava beans this year because I heard that they contain dopamine. As some may remember my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's last year after having a tremor for a year and a half. He is on carbidopa/levadopa which helps but is also said to accelerate the neurodegeneration, unless taken with Vit C. I just learned that from Pierson and Shaw's book Life Extension, so he's taking C with it now.

I didn't know they were a cool weather crop, but planted them late like regular snap beans. So hope they make something. I hope to save seed and plant even more next year.

Thanks shekeniahh for the "anecdotal" info.

Hello,
I'm from New York, and this is the second year I am growing fava.I grew fava last year, but all I had were flowers and no pods. This year I planted them in April, some have flowers but again no pods. Do they need pollination. The weather around here is still very erratic. One week of temp. in the 90's in April, then back to 40's and we have a lot of rain as well, especially this past 2 weeks. Don't know what else to do at this time.

MulberryKnob...I really do think Fava's are helpful for Parkinson's, but again, it's wise to do your research on line.

I don't think doctors are going to have a clue about them and would probably object. In any case, from what I've been able to learn, the natural dopamine in Fava beans doesn't have the side effects of the prescription drugs.

However, please check out Mucuna, and Velvet Bean online.

These both have dopamine and are natural, and you can buy them online through Swanson's supplements or most any other good online supplement source or at your local health food store.

In addition to helping tremors, they also have some other beneficial actions medicinally. I'm not sure I remember, but they in some fashion resemble or are related to Fava Beans.

Also, to answer another posters question...I'm not sure if Favas would help someone with ADD. When I have a question relating to a herbal or supplement, or even a vegetable or fruit, I start digging in the information highway.

About Mucuna, I take it myself for it's many other health benifts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mucuna uses and benefits

Alicia:
Fava beans hate temperatures above the 70's, and will wilt at 80 and above. Probably your late spring weather zaps them with too many hot days for a harvest to come in. You could try planting them in afternoon shade...

I plant my fava beans in Feb. and yes they will not produce pods if they flower with temps above 80.You can tell when to pick because the pod that is erect starts to sag down, now is the time to pick.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I wasted my seed this year, but next year I'll know.

Not true,fall beans are in your future!

When is the best time in the fall to plant them? And i take it that they have a long maturity time so I should expect to harvest next spring?

Depending on your areas last frost, one thing to calculate,and then when you get get average fall days in the 70's.Most need 120 days from planting to harvest.When beans form they are erect and drupe down when ready to pick.

I mulched and watered the ones I planted this spring and they bloomed but the blooms blackened and dropped. So next fall it is. Thanks for the dates.

I'm considering favas this season. Debating when to plant them. Any more experiences since 2009? There's a purple seeded one with a 70 DTM. I read soil temp must be 50* for germination. I'm considering starting a few inside and setting them out in Feb. Is it worth messing with?

They work better as a fall crop than as a spring one in our climate. Our spring cool season is usually too short for them as the heat generally arrives too early for them to make a crop here. Now, last year's prolonged cool and rainy spring might have been the rare spring when fava beans might have had a chance to produce in spring from a late winter/early spring planting.

You're quite a distance further north than I am, but I don't think your heat arrives that much later than mine. However, if you are able to successfully get a good yield in spring from winter-planted cauliflower and brussels sprouts, then you might stay cool enough long enough there in springtime to get a good yield from spring fava beans. Down here in southcentral OK, it is rare to harvest much of anything from cauliflower and brussels sprouts in spring due to the early onset of the heat, so for us down here, they are more of a fall crop, and the same is true of favas.

I'm thinking about scratching this off the list, though as a winter cover crop you could eat, it would be nice. I've been walking around the garden looking at things that have survived so far. I want a bunch of them in the ground next winter to just let them do their thing. If favas mature in late May they would be in the way of things going in the ground at that time or before.

anyone growing favas as a nitrogen fix? i just moved and want to add some enrichment to the soil where i want to plant my garden