Fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a cool-season crop, unique among legumes for thriving in lower temperatures than most other bean varieties. Cultivation requires a long growing season, spanning from 12 to over 30 weeks depending on the climate. The harvest window is flexible, offering opportunities to pick the plant at multiple stages, from tender young shoots to fully mature, dried beans.
Early Harvest: Fava Shoots and Immature Pods
The first edible harvest from the fava plant is often the tender young shoots, sometimes called fava greens. These shoots are typically collected when the plant reaches a height of about six to eight inches, or later by pinching off the top two to four inches of the main stem and side branches. Harvesting the young tops not only provides a delicacy but also encourages the plant to focus its energy on pod production lower down the stalk.
Another early option is to harvest the entire pod before the beans inside have significantly swollen. Picked at about one to two inches long, these immature pods are tender enough to be cooked and eaten whole, much like a snap bean. As the pods grow slightly larger, up to four inches, they can still be shelled and the small, sweet beans enjoyed without peeling the outer skin.
Harvesting the Mature Fava Beans
The primary harvest focuses on the mature beans inside the pod, which can be picked fresh for shelling or left to dry completely on the stalk. For fresh shelling, the most reliable visual indicator is when the pods hang low and look distinctly bumpy and full, clearly outlining the beans inside. At this stage, the fuzzy, velvety texture of the young pod begins to turn smooth and slightly leathery, and the overall plant may start showing signs of yellowing from the bottom up.
The pods should feel firm when gently squeezed, indicating the beans have swelled to full size. To ensure the best quality, pick the fresh pods before they develop dark spots or a fully blackened appearance, which signals the beginning of the drying process. When removing the pods, a gentle twist-and-pull motion is recommended to avoid damaging the main stalk, which may still be producing additional pods higher up the plant. The harvest is typically staggered, working upwards over several weeks since beans at the bottom mature first.
For harvesting dry beans, the process is delayed until the plant has fully senesced and the pods have become brittle and dark brown or black. Allowing the pods to dry completely on the vine concentrates the starches and prepares the beans for long-term storage. The entire plant can be cut at the base and hung upside down in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated area to finish drying before the hardened beans are shelled.
Post-Harvest Preparation and Storage
After picking, fresh fava pods must be shelled immediately to reveal the pale green beans inside. For consumption, the skin surrounding the individual bean, known as the testa, must often be removed as it can be tough and bitter, especially in larger beans. This secondary peeling process is accomplished by briefly blanching the shelled beans in boiling water for one to two minutes, followed by an immediate plunge into an ice bath to halt the cooking. The rapid temperature change loosens the testa, allowing it to be easily slipped off to reveal the bright green inner cotyledon.
Freshly shelled and peeled fava beans can be stored short-term in the refrigerator for up to several days. For long-term preservation, the blanched and peeled beans are best frozen in air-tight containers or freezer bags. Dried fava beans, once shelled, must be stored in a cool, dark, and dry location to prevent spoilage. These dried beans require soaking overnight before cooking, but they offer a versatile ingredient for soups and stews that can last for many months.
Utilizing the Fava Plant for Soil Health
Once the final bean harvest is complete, the remaining plant material offers a significant benefit to the garden as a nitrogen-fixing cover crop. Fava beans, like other legumes, form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria in the soil, which colonize specialized nodules on the roots. These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for the plant, enriching the soil.
To capture this deposited nitrogen for subsequent crops, the plant should be cut at the soil line, leaving the root system intact. This “chop and drop” technique ensures the nitrogen-rich root nodules remain in the ground to decompose slowly, releasing their stored nutrients directly into the soil. The cut foliage can then be laid on the soil surface as a green manure or lightly tilled back into the top layer, contributing valuable organic matter that improves soil structure and water retention.