How are your broad beans looking?

[Chris Graham]

Aquadulce, planted in November - tops pinched out and pods about 4ins long.
Now watering like mad as we haven't had any rain for a while.
Really looking forward to the BB glut- but can't decide whether to blanch before freezing or not - decision, decisions!!!

Why are you required to blanch before freezing anyways?  I never understood this. 

I froze carrots last year unblanched and they seem fine.

[Chris Graham]

[antipodes]

I am already eating mine....it is the first time I have tasted them and I find them quite yummy.

[Kea]

Aquadulce planted in October/November looks like we'll be eating them by the weekend. Meant to plant second crop but didn't get around to it!

[shirlton]

I always blanche mine as I don't know how long I want to keep them in the freezer. I do try to eat things when they are in season but most times we have a glut of something or other. If you are going to eat them in a week or two I wouldn't bother blanching

[twinkletoes]

I too have Aquadulce planted last November and they are doing well - pods about 3" long/thick as a pencil. Tin Shed - do you have to pinch them out?  Why do you do that? 
twinkletoes

[sarah]

i have been eating my autumn sown aquadulce for a few days now. yummmmeeee.
it is a good idea to pinch the tips out twinklwtoes as the dreaded blackfly are attracted to the lovely succulent new growth. just nip out the top inch or two of tender growth and that should do the trick. tim will tell you they are delicious to eat. i suppose by nipping them out it may also encourage them to produce the flowers and pods. dont know about that though.. funnily enough i havent had time to pinch mine out this year and i dont have any blackfly on them yet. bit early maybe. better do it.  :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine are flowering well, but no pods yet. They got hammered by the long winter; this autumn I'll put two in a hole just in case.

[artichoke]

My first sowing has tiny pods! Very sad that a dog or something has knocked over three or four of them and broken the stems. But hope to be eating them in a week or so. I ate raw all the little pods on the broken ones and they were lovely. I have second and third sowings coming on. They are my absolute favourite veg apart from asparagus (rampant at the moment but slowing down for lack of rain).

[artichoke]

PS blanching seems to help flavour and texture in my experience (first freezer bought in 1966). I once froze spinach without blanching, and it tasted like composting grass cuttings (not that I've eaten them, but it was nasty) so now I always pour boiling water on everything, bring it back to the boil, then immediately plunge it into cold water before freezing. I really think it is worth this minimum trouble.

[posie]

Well mine seem to be feeding the local insect population, time to sow some extras I think - and I was so proud!  :'(

[Chris Graham]

Should I not have small broadbeans growing by now?

Dont seem to be setting very well.  Sown back in Feb.

[Fork]

"Why are you required to blanch before freezing anyways?  I never understood this". 



Blanching is the broiling of vegetable in steam or hot water. The main purpose of blanching is to preserve the colors of the vegetables even after freezing for long time. Generally the enzymes cause vegetables to loose their colors, tightness and flavor during frozen storage. Blanching process is used to avoid that.

Main advantages of Blanching:
Kills the enzymes action even during freezing.
Preserves the color and flavor for long time even after freezing.
Kills other spoilage organs.
Makes the dish colorful and attractive


After all this I still dont blanch anything  ;D

[Chris Graham]

Thanks for that, always wanted to know  ;)

[Chris Graham]

A bit more progress on these now.

Would have hoped for more beans but must be due to the weather that many didn't set.





I'll be happy if I get 20 pods, even just to try them too see if we like them.

[Magnolia]

I bet you'll love them.  I'm going to sow a small forest of BB next year - they're so yummy.

[Kea]

Mine are virtually over now. I meant to so more in Spring but never got round to it...really must next year they were delicious!
Still got chocolate spot towards the end but this time it didn't take over.

[medicinejack]

Sprouted mine in a damp kitchen towel (in a tupperware box) and planted very early, under cloches. Grew steadily in a well manured bed and are now massive. The high winds are trying to finish them off, but with the help of supports, they are fighting back strongly and taste great.

[Robert_Brenchley]

My overwintered BB's are massive, and yielding plenty. The second planting are just beginning to pod, and the third are breaking the surface. that looks like a good crop you've got coming.