Page 8 - may2021

Julia’s veggies - Broad beans Healthy Growing, Healthy Eating

The wonderful rainfall that we have enjoyed this summer season has also brought a few

challenges, particularly for spinach and other leafy vegetables. Firstly, the plants started rotting
due to sitting in water with little sunshine, and then tiny green grasshoppers feasted on
them, leaving the spinach as a skeleton! Thank goodness that as the temperatures decrease
so do the pests. This means we can now grow all the tasty vegetables that pests love – and so
do we! Apart from the veggies from the Brassica family such as broccoli and cauliflower, Asian
greens and different varieties of kale, there are the delicious broad beans to be planted now.
Broad bean pods, flowers & beans.(Pixabay)
Varieties: Pics of by Julia Farmer

How to grow: All beans thrive in well dug, well-composted soil. They don’t like crusted
soils. Plant broad bean seeds directly into the ground and space them 60cm apart. They can also
be grown in large pots. Broad beans like cool, moist growing conditions so keep them well
watered, especially when they are starting to set flowers.
When to grow & How to harvest: April to August. You can start harvesting the
beans about three to four months after sowing. Regular picking encourages more growth. If you
pick them when small they can be eaten raw including the pod. Large beans are best dried and
stored for later use or saved as seed for the next season.
How & Why to eat: Broad beans are rich in protein and fibre. Their high protein content
makes them a useful food for vegans and vegetarians. Fresh broad beans have high levels of vitamin C
and B group vitamins, as well as potassium, iron and magnesium. Being fibre-rich, dried or fresh, broad
beans help fight diabetes and regulate intestinal transit. They are also recommended in weight-loss
diets because they make you feel full quickly without being high in calories. Medium-sized pods can
be shelled and the beans steamed or cooked in a small amount of salted boiling water. Adding thyme
during cooking improves the flavour and they can be served with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper.
They are so tender and succulent they could be eaten as a meal on their own says Margaret Roberts!
Take care: Broad beans can trigger a dangerous anemia called favism when they are eat-
en raw in great quantities for a long time. This note is only intended for persons who carry
a hereditary gene mutation and lack the necessary digestive enzyme that usually degrade the
substances that destroy red-blood cells that are contained in these seeds.
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