Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Broad beans - time to give them a second chance

Broad beans have got a bad rap from many a childhood dinner. Photo / Pexels / Ilaria M

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s going in to bat for the humble broad bean.

OPINION

While the late Queen Elizabeth II chose Coronation Chicken for her big celebration, I wonder how many of you remember what King Charles III chose for his coronation?

It was a quiche, with a crisp, light pastry case and delicate flavours of spinach, broad beans, and fresh tarragon.

It was suggested to eat the quiche hot or cold with a green salad and freshly dug new potatoes, boiled to perfection and perfect for a Coronation lunch!

I was lucky enough that a friend called Gina invited a group of us for lunch to sample her recreation of the King’s quiche.

Whether it was Gina’s superb cooking or the King’s recipe, (I think both), it was a very tasty quiche and did the humble broad bean proud.

I was never fussed about broad beans as a child, and I can well imagine that I was not the only one!

My mother used to cook them until they turned grey ... they were not nice.

How times have changed!

Broad beans can now be found smashed on top of sourdough toast at a lot of trendy cafes or, with the outer shell removed, the bright green succulent beans are a welcome addition to a fresh green salad.

Broad beans were one of the first vegetables I learned to grow because they grew when there was not much else in the vegetable garden, and I always had success with them.

Kem Ormond’s broad bean growing guide

Let them eat quiche: The palace published its own royal recipe for the coronation. Photo / The Royal Household, Supplied

When should you plant broad bean seeds?

It is said you should plant broad beans in the late autumn or early spring.

These are tough little beans that withstand the coldest of weather and they produce a crop when there is not much else on the offering.

For regions with mild winters, a late autumn planting can yield an early spring harvest, ensuring your garden remains productive across seasons.

If you do not wish to plant from seed, keep an eye out in your local nursery for seedlings.

They are always pretty hardy and seem to do well once in the ground.

Growing broad beans

Plant in double rows about 10-15cm apart, in well-composted soil.

Broad beans grow upright, they do not cling on with tendrils and they do not climb like runner beans.

As they get taller, they do need some sort of support especially if the area they are growing in tends to get wind.

Everyone seems to have their own method of keeping them upright. Mine is a little rough and ready, but it works fine.

I use some sturdy canes on each corner of my double row and then tie a string halfway up the cane and then another at the top.

This seems to keep them secure, and the two rows lean against each other keeping them upright, while secured by the string fence so to speak.

Harvesting

When the pods feel and look full and the seeds outline through the skin, then it is time to harvest.

Do not let the pods get too big as that is when the vision of what you ate as a child will come rushing back.

Begin picking your broad beans from the bottom of the stalk, as these mature first.

You need to harvest your broad bean plants regularly to promote further flowering and growth.

To pick, use one hand to steady the stem and the other to gently twist off the pod, avoiding plant damage.

Early in the morning or late at night is the best time to harvest your beans.

Serves bruschetta topped with asparagus, broad beans and a squeeze of lemon juice. Photo / Babiche Martens

Choosing your seeds

Choosing what variety, you grow comes down to where you live and your preference.

While there is a selection of different beans, the cold-resistant Coles Prolific is better suited for harsher areas, whereas the large, succulent pods of Superaguadulce — renowned for their large 25cm pods — might tempt you.

If you have limited space, check out dwarf varieties.

On a garden tour last year, I came across a broad bean in full flower and the flowers were crimson and absolutely stunning.

Honestly, it is worth growing for the flowers alone!

I have heard it is called Hughey Crimson or Red Hughey, well worth checking out.

Happy growing and please give broad beans a second chance!