Beans are the fruits and seeds of plants Vicia faba. Normally with «beans» we refer more to the immature, tender and green seeds, which we consume as vegetables or legumes, although dried beans are also sold to prepare like any other legume.

Properties of beans

Broad beans and young broad beans are considered vegetables. because, although they are legumes, their composition is more similar to that of vegetables: about 8-10 grams of protein per 100 grams of beans, 22-30 grams of carbohydrates and around 1 gram of fat.

Beans provide some iron, vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium, are rich in riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus and potassium, and They are a good source of folic acid, copper and manganese.

In Spain they are grown in many provinces, along with other protein crops (peas, lupines, etc.), although mainly on the Mediterranean coast, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. Its season begins in spring and ends at the beginning of summer, so we have a short period to enjoy them fresh and just picked.

How to choose beans when buying them

In greengrocers, markets and flea markets we usually find them in their pod. All we have to do is open it (can be opened by hand, no knife needed) and take out the beans that are inside, and that are what we will consume.

The pods are hard and fibrous, which is why they are not consumed. but they serve as a natural «packaging» for the beans. When you find fresh beans:

• Look at the color and texture of the pods. They must be green and smooth, without holes, yellow or brown or soft parts.
• Choose them no trace of fungus or mold.
• You will have to buy more or less double what you want to get, by the weight of the pods.

How to preserve beans

Once home, store them in the refrigerator, in a perforated paper or plastic bag, for a maximum of 3 days. The ideal is to peel them and prepare them the same day. that we buy them, either to eat that day or to store in the refrigerator or freezer.

To freeze the beans it is convenient whiten them first. To do it:

• Since there can be beans of different sizes in the same purchase, first We will separate the big ones from the small ones.
• The small ones will be done faster, they will need 2 minutes in boiling water and then transfer them to a bowl of very cold water.
• The big about 4 minutes, with the same process.
• After we drain them, we dry them a little with a cloth and we can freeze them, always protected in containers suitable for freezing.
• These frozen beans They will last us up to 6 months perfectly.
• To eat them we just have to take them out and boil them or add directly to our preparations, since they will defrost quickly and will be done in a very short time.

Out of season you can find canned beans already cooked in water or oil, and also frozen.

7 ways to cook broad beans

Broad beans are a good option to add variety to our dishes and enjoy a short-season vegetable. If you freeze them or buy them packaged, you will have them at home whenever you want to prepare delicious quick and easy recipes. How to cook beans? Here are some simple ideas.

1. Raw beans

The beans are They can eat raw as a snack. It is preferable to choose the smallest ones and peel them. That is, after removing them from the pod we have a seed with a skin. To remove the interior we can squeeze them at one end and/or make a small cut so that they come out better. This internal seed is green and It is very similar to edamame in flavor and texture, tender and buttery.

When we are going to cook with them, this skin is not usually removed, since with cooking it will soften and have a better flavor and texture. With prolonged cooking the skins tend to separate on their own.

For most traditional preparations, the beans are used as is, without removing the skin, and they take on a brownish and wrinkled appearance (this is normal).

2. Bean pâté

We can make fresh bean pâtés (like hummus but with beans), salads, creams and sauces. We can also combine them with other ingredients in these preparations such as avocado, almonds, tahini, zucchini, pumpkin, etc. In general, they go well with everything, although you will surely like them more with other spring-summer ingredients.

3. Beans sautéed in an omelette or scrambled

For short cooking, such as stir-fries, omelettes, scrambled eggs and things like that, it is advisable to blanch them first, as well as for freezing them, especially if they are large. This is how we soften them and pre-cook them which makes them easier to cook later in the pan.

4. Stewed and stewed broad beans

In stews, casseroles, stews and other recipes with broths, it is not necessary to blanch them because the cooking takes longer. We only have to add the amount we want once we have made the sauce, just as we add other ingredients such as potatoes, carrots or green beans.
If we use the pressure cooker because we are going to cook them with legumes, it is better to use the large ones, which will hold up better and will be perfect.

5. Stuffed with beans

The beans can also be cut, chopped, crushed and beaten and added to falafel dough, croquettes, dumpling fillings, etc. For this, use small, peeled beans, or whatever size you want, already blanched. Except for falafel, which can be raw (but without skin).

6. Beans in paella and fabadas

In many dishes you can change an ingredient and use beans instead to create a new dish. For example, you can make a fabada but with fresh broad beans instead of white beans, especially if you have forgotten to soak the beans.
Add them to your paellas and rice dishes like any other ingredient.

7. Pasta with beans

Incorporate them into your whole-grain pasta dishes to make them more complete (for example, whole-grain macaroni with vegan chorizo, tender broad beans and tomato sauce).