Thanks to all who replied. This has been an interesting experiment with
promising results. I tried Google. Wow, now I am better informed and totally
confused. After all the caveats I was hesitant to eat them. But
apparently they have been cultivated (and consumed) in the mid east for
thousands of years. Also I just cannot believe people bothered to "peel"
individual beans as recommended. I shelled and ate a few raw; they tasted
and smelled just like fresh garden peas. Mine however look like lima beans
but are larger than butter beans. Next I tried your recommendation and
sautéed a few in oil with garlic, etc. Very tasty. If they are easy to grow,
I look forward to more.

Growing them is yet to be evaluated. You advised planting them in October
and I have done so; we will see. I planted these in early summer on a whim.
I do not recall on which day summer occurred this year perhaps that
explains why these grew so well. I am only 200 yards from the surf. Most of
the year we have high overcast with an average annual temperature of 60 deg
F. A half mile inland it may be clear and sunny but here it is usually haze
or fog. It has been a real challenge trying to find what will grow here.
Tomatoes, for example, blossomed early but did not ripen until first of
October. Peas and beans do ok, at least well enough to be worth the effort.
Brussels sprouts, oth, thrive. Before now I have not tried growing anything
through the winter due to the gloom and rain.

-- Karl


"simy1" wrote in message
ups.com...

Karl Warner wrote:
I live in southwest Washington State, seacoast, USDA zone 8. This summer
I
planted a dozen fava beans out of curiosity. Never grown them before,
don't
recall ever seeing them before. The bush beans and pole beans are now
long
gone but the favas appear to be in full stride. Each stalk has a cluster
of
7 to 8 pods of all sizes tho most are the size of sausages! By feel the
beans inside are the size of grapes. How long are these things likely to
keep growing? Are they a cool season crop? They don't look like they are
ready to pick. Should I just wait until the pods turn brown and then
shell
them? How to eat them will be yet another new experience.
-- Karl Warner (in a grove of pine trees, in the lee of a dune)

Eaten fresh, they are excellent. Cook them as you would peas, they cook
fairly
quickly for their size (if fresh. If dried, long cooking). I saute a
little garlic in oil, then
add the favas, stock, seasonings, parsley, and cook until tender. They
are a crop that you should
plant in october, because they survive the winter in Zone 7, but do not
like hot summer
conditions where they get attacked by all sorts of pests. My favas, for
example,
this summer keeled over and begged out but for winter zone 8 they are
just perfect.
They also condition your soil very well. They break clay (they love
clay), and they leave
enough nitrogen you should not need to fertilize for the warm season
crops.

Shell them when the pods start to change color and thickness, just like
regular beans. Man,
they are one of two or three zone 8 crops I really miss. Michigan just
is not their place.