BROAD BEANS GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR SOIL

by Sula Changuion

Winter offers limited food growing options, the most popular being the brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli). Broad beans tolerate cold weather well. Not only are they a nutritious food crop, they also benefit the soil as a nitrogen-fixing green manure. Broad bean seeds are sown directly into the soil from April to June. The plants thrive with regular watering, although they are known to be drought resistant. The beans are ready to harvest in 3 – 4 months. Regular picking encourages more growth. The beans can be eaten raw or cooked. To save seeds, leave the pods to dry on the plant. Good companion plants for broad beans in winter are beetroot, kale and strawberries. In Brazil the mature bean seeds are roasted and ground into a flour. Also known as fava beans, broad beans are an ancient food source, traced back to over 5000 BC.They are rich in amino acids, vitamins A, B (particularly B6), C and E, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and fibre. Broad beans can cause a rare allergic-like reaction known as favism in some individuals. This is a hereditary disease caused by a particular enzyme deficiency and should not discourage the majority of people from growing this worthwhile crop.