Sowing fava beans
1st of March and looking forward to harvesting them mid June
Today March 1st, my mother’s 88th birthday and +5 C here in southern Sweden and I am tucking these historical Solberga fava bean seeds into the soil.
Organic seed company Runabergs Froer states: The old, traditional broad bean from Solberga parish in Bohuslän, where it has been grown for several hundred years and has been a very important staple food. Linnaeus' disciple Pehr Kalm, who described it on his journey in 1742, considered it to be the finest of broad beans. The variety originates from the brothers Lars and Lennart Eliasson at Ödsmåls Västergård in Solberga, where the bean has been grown for generations.
They are supposed to be superior in taste too.
Usually I sow seeds I’ve been saving for several seasons like these crimson flowering ones with beautiful red seeds.
Harvests from last June with dill, the tradional companion plant for fava beans to deter aphids, the traditional pest that comes along too! They are so cosily tucked into their cushioned pods. My Moroccan friends eat the pods too, lightly steamed.
Last picture: Red and white fava beans along with some young whole pods and some yellow peas. I’ll be sowing those very soon too, all from saved seeds.