[Lardman]

How can you dislike a poor bean !

I just about get what I need / want from 16 plants - there's never any to freeze though.

[JaK]

I grew them this year too and don't seem to be getting a great return for the amount of space they are taking up. I wont grow them again at home but might try again once I have an allotment.

[Paul Plots]

I think the reason most people grow them is because they are one of the earliest crops from th new growing season so people look forward to them. (not me though)

Peas are much nicer and only a few weeks later if you start them in the greenhouse in guttering or paper pots, then plant out under a cloche.

I grow peas too and runners and french beans and.............. love the lot!! 

[aqua]

i love broad beans. have lots in my front garden and a top up supply at the lottie. I have lots of peas too.

[Missy1970]

Does anyone else shell their beans? I've done a mixture frozen the whole bean and some shelled it's painstaking job but love then end result

[galen]

Lovely veg, even my 5 year old likes them - Just had a supper of broad beans and bacon

[viettaclark]

I plant mine in the Autumn which means they finish about now and my cucumbers go in.
It fills the empty space and although I only got a couple of good meals for 6 off 15/20 plants it was worth it to have a good early crop. I shall grow more next year.
Have you seen the tiny bag of pods selling for £1.99 in Lidl's?

[angelavdavis]

I grew them at the allotment this year - having never had any luck with them in my garden.  I vowed if this year was a disaster, I would throw in the towel. 

We only took over our plot in mid-June last year and so I decided to use up the leftover seed last autumn and over-wintered my crop. 

I have only grown 16 plants, and am on my fourth harvest, they have done so well. 

I do blanch and shell mine and, similar to galen, I served up a salad of green leaves, topped with the shelled beans and sauteéd bacon with a little garlic.  It was delicious!

[Gandan57]

Don`t know how many plants I have but it`s certainly in the hundreds.

My wife isn`t keen on them so when she selects veg for sunday lunch the frozen broad beans get overlooked unless I insist on having them.

I love them, whether raw or cooked. Mine will be ready in another week or so and then I shall be taking them to work in the lunchbox, raw, and filling the gaps around the corned beef and ketchup sandwiches.

[rhysdad]

I just think early or even maincrop spuds would have better justified the space the beans are taking up..... I'll grow a half dozen plants to keep my Mum going next year but I've lost interest in them far more rapidly than I thought.......

[Elaine G]

I love them too -but hubby is not so keen, so I guess they are an aquired taste.
I had my first crop whilst he was away on business 

Elaine

[Gandan57]

I gave up growing winter hardy Aquadulce Claudia after disappointing results but others on our site who did have had impressive crops with pods up to a foot long. All the more surprising given the winter we had.

So it`s back on my to grow list for the autumn.

[Robster]

We are split as a household we like them kids don't.  So I only do a small sowing in autumn and as soon as they come out the dwarf or runners go in.

[plotment26]

Yes....Missy1970

"Does anyone else shell their beans? I've done a mixture frozen the whole bean and some shelled it's painstaking job but love then end result"

I always double pod my broad beans, then saute in a little butter, black pepper and sea salt - yum!!  it's our favourite seasonal treat..   apart from the first peas.. oh and the first runner beans... and the first new potatoes of course  

[tosca100]

Love broad beans, and have now got OH on side since I started to grow a few plants in our mini plot. Would grow more if I could. Have them straight out of the pod when small and peel them when they are bigger. Mine aren't ready yet, so bought some yesterday, and they were nice and fresh and lovely with fresh herbs from the garden and a dab of butter.

Tesco are doing British beans and peas, quite big bags, two for £2. Not sure the peas are worth it though, they tend to be very mixed, tinies with bullets, and I think they need eating straight off the plant anyway, they don't have the protective blanket that broad beans have.