BROAD BEANS

How do you know when broad beans are ready?

You can eat the whole pods when they’re small, but wait for the beans to develop for better value. The lowest pods will mature first – look for bumps in the pods, then pick and shell one to test its readiness. Never let them get large, as they become tough. It’s better to harvest and freeze them if you have a lot.

What time of year are they grown?

Broad beans are hardy, so you can sow seeds in autumn and let the seedlings overwinter on your plot without protection (if you live in a mild area) for an early crop. Otherwise, sow in late winter in a greenhouse, or outside once the soil reaches 5C. Then, successionally sow small batches until June for harvests into midsummer.

What’s the difference between varieties of broad beans?

You can sow the hardiest varieties for overwintering, like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’. Choose the shortest plants, like ‘The Sutton’, for late-spring sowing or containers, and pink-beaned ones, like ‘Karmazyn’, for fancier salads. Generally, longer-podded beans are hardier, and shorter-podded beans less so – but they are tastier.

How easy is it to grow your own?

It’s very easy! These are tough plants, providing one of the earliest vegetable harvests of the year. They prefer fertile, free-draining soil, and, for best results, water them while they’re in flower during dry spells. Tall plants need simple stakes. Black aphid attacks are very common, but this doesn’t usually affect the beans inside their pods.