Preparing Fava Beans

Directions

The fava bean (or the broad bean) has been cultivated from China to the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years, and is an integral part of those cuisines. The beans are eaten as a fresh vegetable when picked early in the season and as a dried bean when allowed to mature on the vine. Fresh fava beans are a wonderful addition to many spring and summer dishes. They are packed with fiber and protein and are a good source of folate and minerals like zinc, phosphorous, iron and magnesium.

To prepare fresh fava beans, break open each pod and run your thumb along its fluffy interior; the beans will easily pop out. The pods aren’t edible, so just add them to the compost pile. Next, you have to remove the skins of the beans. The skin can be bitter and a bit tough. If you get very small pods, you can get away with cooking and eating the beans with their skins intact; but most of the time, you have to remove them. [Editor’s note: my chickens like to eat the skins.]

To remove the skins, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water comes to a full boil, add the fava beans and cook them for approximately thirty seconds. Drain the beans and cool them down. Next comes the decidedly time-consuming process of peeling each bean. There is a dark green, thick ridge on the rounded side of the bean-starting there, pinch the skin and pull it open.

Once the skin opens a bit you can squeeze the bottom and the bean slips out. I like to peel them right into a bowl or storage container. Once the beans are peeled, they are ready to enjoy.

A simple way to serve them is with melted butter, lemon juice, and salt.

Submitted by thegreenguide.com