how do you tell if broad beans are ready?
 

I just picked some because the pods were horizontal on the plant, but
inside the beans are the same size as peas.

Many thanks
flowerpot

they are ready right from small pods. Eat the small ones whole
very early, then as they grow bigger pod them and then by now (in
the south) they have developed a skin on the bean itself which,
if they are to have any flavour you need to blanch for 2 minutes,
refresh and peel the beans.A right pain.

If you knew all that already then the answer is test a sample
bean!
--
Mike Reid
UK Walking "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Following up to flowerpot

but
inside the beans are the same size as peas.

just realised I absent mindedly replied without reading the
body! Oh well. Pea size should taste really good but mine are by
now much bigger than that so I wonder if you have a problem?
That's expert territory......
--
Mike Reid
UK Walking "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

On 29 Jun 2005 06:22:24 -0700, "flowerpot" wrote:

I just picked some because the pods were horizontal on the plant, but
inside the beans are the same size as peas.

Soon they'll start to droop below the horizontal and they'll be ready,
just open a sample pod now and again to get 'em how you like 'em. When
you pod them and the beans come away, look at the scar where they've
come away - if its going black you've left them too long, they'll be
tough.
Rod

Weed my address to reply

http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

Rod wrote:
On 29 Jun 2005 06:22:24 -0700, "flowerpot"
wrote:

I just picked some because the pods were horizontal on the plant,
but
inside the beans are the same size as peas.

Soon they'll start to droop below the horizontal and they'll be
ready,
just open a sample pod now and again to get 'em how you like 'em.
When
you pod them and the beans come away, look at the scar where
they've
come away - if its going black you've left them too long, they'll
be
tough.

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860 if
you can believe it) probably did when he made what my mother
describes as a delicious sauce for pasta with, as far as she can
remember, little but broad beans? I got some dried broad beans in the
local Asian delicacy emporium, and couldn't do anything striking with
them. Elizabeth David, though in other respects a clearer candidate
for canonisation than some I could name, is no help.

--
Mike.

In article ,
(Rod) wrote:

Soon they'll start to droop below the horizontal and they'll be
ready,

Often quoted but I find this a very unreliable method. They will droop
when the beans are heavy enough and the point where they join the plant
is weak enough. Unless something gets in the way of the droop.

I find it better to wait until the pods feel hard when squeezed and go a
little shiny.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

The pods can be eaten like runner beans before the beans are mature. Tops of
broad beans are also edible. The pods do not develop parchment until quite
late on and the white furry interior is lost in the cooking,so the whole pod
can be eaten when the beans inside are pea sized. This is a useful way of
extending the yield and harvesting season of the plants.
I find beans cooked in this way are delicious. My wife and children used to
like them but Jen has gone off them in old age(sic!) as the pods have a
taste slightly reminiscent of the flower scent.
Regards
David T.

Following up to Mike Lyle

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860 if
you can believe it) probably did when he made what my mother
describes as a delicious sauce for pasta with, as far as she can
remember, little but broad beans?

In Spain they sometimes use the white fur to thicken a sauce. You
could easily puree fresh broad beans but i'm not sure dried would
ever be nice enough. The Italians usually seem to spread it on a
crostino.

I got some dried broad beans in the
local Asian delicacy emporium,

--
Mike Reid
UK Walking "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

The Reids wrote:
Following up to Mike Lyle

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860
if
you can believe it) probably did when he made what my mother
describes as a delicious sauce for pasta with, as far as she can
remember, little but broad beans?

In Spain they sometimes use the white fur to thicken a sauce. You
could easily puree fresh broad beans but i'm not sure dried would
ever be nice enough. The Italians usually seem to spread it on a
crostino.

Many thanks, Mike. I'll experiment on that basis. Maybe a little
garlic and a herb or two...

--
Mike.

Mike Lyle wrote:

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860 if
you can believe it)

Now why shouldn't I believe it? My father was born in 1890.....30 years
to a generation..

probably did when he made what my mother
describes as a delicious sauce for pasta with, as far as she can
remember, little but broad beans? I got some dried broad beans in the
local Asian delicacy emporium, and couldn't do anything striking with
them. Elizabeth David, though in other respects a clearer candidate
for canonisation than some I could name, is no help.


I prefer the big white dried butter beans myself, but here is a precis
of Janet Mendel Searl's version: Cook the beans until tender in boiling
water to cover. Drain and puree in blender, sieve to remove skins.
Season with S,P and butter or with chopped garlic fried in oil. Add
chopped ham or bacon. Reheat leftovers with water to make soup. The
puree can also be topped with grated cheese and browned under the
grill.

If you are looking for a different way to cook your fresh BBs, try
this...shell 2 kilos BBs, fry them quite briskly for a minute or two
with 4 (or more) cloves garlic, and 150gm diced, preferably serrano,
ham in about 100ml olive oil. Turn down the heat, then leave them to
stew gently in the oil until tender...about 20 mins. I like it as a
first course, or as a corner filler with a beer when I'm shopping.

--
Jo

Following up to Mike Lyle

In Spain they sometimes use the white fur to thicken a sauce. You
could easily puree fresh broad beans but i'm not sure dried would
ever be nice enough. The Italians usually seem to spread it on a
crostino.

Many thanks, Mike. I'll experiment on that basis. Maybe a little
garlic and a herb or two...

don't forget the olive oil! You can make a paste with potato and
herbs and deep fry it, i'm going to try it with the last of the
beans i.e. run out of good ideas.

You could post to uk.food+drink.misc, there's a woman who lives
in Italy and a bloke who has a spanish wife. Also some other
wimmin who sometimes post useful stuff but mainly give me a load
of grief, oh, s***, I think they post here too :-)
--
Mike Reid
UK Walking "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

Following up to Totty

If you are looking for a different way to cook your fresh BBs, try
this...shell 2 kilos BBs, fry them quite briskly for a minute or two
with 4 (or more) cloves garlic, and 150gm diced, preferably serrano,
ham in about 100ml olive oil. Turn down the heat, then leave them to
stew gently in the oil until tender...about 20 mins. I like it as a
first course, or as a corner filler with a beer when I'm shopping.

ummmm! You could add black pudding to that too.
--
Mike Reid
UK Walking "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap
Photos "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

The Reids wrote:
Following up to Totty

If you are looking for a different way to cook your fresh BBs, try
this...shell 2 kilos BBs, fry them quite briskly for a minute or two
with 4 (or more) cloves garlic, and 150gm diced, preferably serrano,
ham in about 100ml olive oil. Turn down the heat, then leave them to
stew gently in the oil until tender...about 20 mins. I like it as a
first course, or as a corner filler with a beer when I'm shopping.

ummmm! You could add black pudding to that too.
--

Now you're cooking on gas!! Diced chorizo is also a tasty substitute
for serrano.

--

Jo

The message .com
from "Totty" contains these words:



Mike Lyle wrote:

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860 if
you can believe it)

Now why shouldn't I believe it? My father was born in 1890.....30 years
to a generation..

Exactly my thought :-) My pa was born in 1889.

I prefer the big white dried butter beans myself, but here is a precis
of Janet Mendel Searl's version: Cook the beans until tender in boiling
water to cover. Drain and puree in blender, sieve to remove skins.
Season with S,P and butter or with chopped garlic fried in oil. Add
chopped ham or bacon. Reheat leftovers with water to make soup. The
puree can also be topped with grated cheese and browned under the
grill.

If you are looking for a different way to cook your fresh BBs, try
this...shell 2 kilos BBs, fry them quite briskly for a minute or two
with 4 (or more) cloves garlic, and 150gm diced, preferably serrano,
ham in about 100ml olive oil. Turn down the heat, then leave them to
stew gently in the oil until tender...about 20 mins. I like it as a
first course, or as a corner filler with a beer when I'm shopping.

Drool...thanks for that.

Janet.

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message .com
from "Totty" contains these words:



Mike Lyle wrote:

OK, so does anybody know what my Sicilian grandfather (born 1860
if
you can believe it)

Now why shouldn't I believe it? My father was born in 1890.....30
years to a generation..

Exactly my thought :-) My pa was born in 1889.
[...]
Ah, but I'm only twenty-one. Or sixty-two if you insist on absolute
precision.

--
Mike.