Broad Bean Aquadulce

Broad Bean Aquadulce is one of the most delicious in terms of flavour and texture. It harvests in 90 days with a plant height of 90 to 100cm. They are an ideal variety for children to grow. They can be sown anytime from autumn until spring and bean plants are a  nitrogen fixer in the soil so they can also be used as a green manure.

We should, of course, all grow Broad Beans, as they are so much more delicious eaten young and just picked. When they’re smaller than a thumbnail, you can even eat them raw. But it does take cooking – albeit just two minutes in lightly salted simmering water to bring out maximum sweetness. The first pick of the year, tossed with a slightly overindulgent knob of butter, is a high point of early summer. Broad beans are also known as “Fava beans”. And go well with liver and a nice Chianti!

Direct sowing is the best method .and you will need to provide support to your plants. Once the pods start to form, ensure the beans are well watered around the base of the plant during dry periods.  Regular picking will keep production going for longer.  For the best flavour, pick the beans when they are starting to show through the pod while the scar on the end of the beans is still white or green (although they can still be enjoyed after the scar has turned black).To remove the pods from the plant, give them a sharp twist in a downward direction.

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