[Ice]

Nooooo, they are not revolting if you double pod them and add them to some fried lardons or bacon or use them in a salad.  That dull grey outer skin is the only awful part.

No need, pick 'em young when the skins still green.
mmmmmmmmmmmm. Loverley.

Yes, cook the whole thing.

[DD.]

Nooooo, they are not revolting if you double pod them and add them to some fried lardons or bacon or use them in a salad.  That dull grey outer skin is the only awful part.

Im not going to be convinced now, just looking at them in asda made me feel ill! I can use the space for peas. Now thats something yummy :-)

Paula

I agree 101% with peapod!

[Ice]

I agree 101% with peapod!

You just have a closed mind DD.  Watch your step, we are still considering that class action. :evil:      

[Minty]

Thanks all for the reply's but one thing has shocked me........how can people not like broad beans :shock: I like them as Ice described,double shelled and fried with a little bacon and mixed in with fresh pasta mmmhhhhh.

What ate your French beans, do you know?
  to Snoozie

I should have known as we were always taught in school in Mansfield Woodhouse to never trust a Spirite  

[Salmo]

I agree, pick them when they are little bigger than peas.

Mice will dig them up. This is usually the cause of most failures. They will not touch them once they have germinated. You will find small holes where you planted the seed. They hunt by smell.

The solution is either to plant in trays just to start them and then plant out or plant about 4 inches deep with a trowell or dibber and firm the soil well.

Last year mine were just coming up and jackdaws pulled them all out. What was really annoying was that they just left them on the ground. I presumed that they had learned that often a bug or worm would come out. Clever birds!!!!

Traditionally plant Autumn varieties on November 5th and Spring ones as soon as the soil allows, usually end of Feb or early March. Autumn sowing usually avoids blackfly.

[DIGGER]

I vote for plant now based on success last year,planted 2nd week Oct,got a quick spurt of growth remained dorment over winter and shot up March.

Doing the same this year but am a little worried. Planted on the 12th Oct 3 days after the next door plot. Next door now inch out of ground I have not got one  seed showing any signs yet.

However the one thing i learned from my first year is A patience B except failure and start again.

I will give it another couple of weeks and then start again :x

[SnooziSuzi]

Nooooo, they are not revolting if you double pod them and add them to some fried lardons or bacon or use them in a salad.  That dull grey outer skin is the only awful part.

Ice, what's double podding?

[Kate and her Ducks]

Throw them away. Turns out I hate them even if I've grown them myself

[Stoatus]

I planted Aquadulce Claudia in the ground a week ago, just before it poured with rain then froze! Do they have any chance at all of surviving or should I shell out for some more? My soil is faily light, which I guess will help.

[Lynne]

I always hated broad beans until I grew my own and realised if they are picked young, they are lovely.

I plant mine in spring, straight into the ground.

[gregmcalister]

I've got a pack of aquadulce claudia seeds but I have a big problem on my plot with rodents stealing my seeds so I'll sow them in pots at home and plant them out early spring. This is my first year growing them but I like the sound of them with garlic and bacon/pancetta and maybe a touch of cream and tarragon to finish it off.

[Ice]

Ice, what's double podding?

Sorry, missed this.  You remove the outer pod, cook the broad beans and then peel off the tough grey skin to reveal a beautiful green bean.  It's a fiddle but worth it.

[mucky_manc.]

..I planted aquadulce this time last year, and didn't see any real advantage to spring sown beans, as regards earlier cropping.
Have sown some sutton dwarf early Oct. this year, to see how they go..!!
As regards autumn or spring sowing, personally the 'jury's still out' on this, I'm sure I will have a better opinion, and gained a little more knowledge come spring...but I do think that there is obviously a lot more risk taken in autumn sowing, and that a certain element of luck is involved as regards weather etc.

mucky_manc.

[titch]

i have some aqua claudia in the ground and some in pots as a back up.

Love broad beans, cant get enough of them, even buy them frozen

[wellingtons]

... better success/crops by planting them out now and overwintering than spring sowing, but I have never tried bringing them on and planting out plantlets.

If you love broad beans, you might also enjoy fresh borlotti beans.  Picked and podded and cooked as you would a broad bean.  I've only tried that for the first time this year and they're lovely.