Fava Beans
Fresh fava beans with their distinctive buttery flavor, a spring delicacy worth the shelling effort.
Storage
Keep them in their pods in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer until you're ready to use them—they hold much better unshelled than shelled.
Keeps For
Really fresh favas can keep about three weeks in the pod in the fridge. Once shelled, try to use them within a week. Keep in mind that grocery store favas are often a couple of weeks old by the time you get them, so they won't last as long.
Flavor Profile
Buttery, nutty, and slightly sweet, with a creamy texture when cooked. Young beans are tender and mild—like a sweeter, more buttery edamame—while older, starchier beans turn more robust and earthy, closer to something crossed with chickpea.
How to Prep
Plan on shelling them twice: once from the outer pod, and again from the tough skin on each bean. The first peel is a must; the second is your call, though most people prefer them fully peeled, especially as the beans get older. Blanching makes that second skin slip off easily. And if you'd rather skip the prep work, grill or roast the beans right in their pods and let your guests pop them out at the table as they eat, like edamame.
Ways to Cook
- 1 Snack on them raw
- 2 Blitzed into falafel
- 3 Sautéed with spring vegetables
- 4 Tossed with pasta and pecorino
- 5 Added to risottos and grain salads
- 6 Braised with artichokes
- 7 Mashed on toast with mint and ricotta
Pairs Well With
Good to Know
The pods aren't worth eating—they're tough and fibrous, so plan to shell them out. You'll also often see black spots or a rusty discoloration on the pods—that's just the natural blights most favas pick up around harvest, completely harmless and nothing to worry about. One real safety note: a genetic condition called favism can make fava beans dangerous for some people; see the FAQ below if that might run in your family.
Did You Know?
Fava beans are one of the oldest cultivated crops, dating back to 6000 BCE. They were so important to ancient Egyptians that they were found in tombs, ensuring the dead had food in the afterlife.
Recipe Inspiration
Common Questions About Fava Beans
Are fava beans the same as lima beans?
No—they're different beans entirely, though both are large and flat. Fava beans (also called broad beans) have a distinctive buttery, slightly earthy flavor. Lima beans are milder and starchier. They're not interchangeable in recipes; favas have a richer taste and firmer texture.
Can you eat fava beans raw?
Yes, and they're delicious this way. Very fresh, young fava beans can be eaten raw straight from the pod after removing the outer skin—raw or just barely blanched is one of our favorite ways to eat them. Their subtle, rich, buttery flavor really comes through with the slightest cooking, or none at all. You can absolutely cook them further, but it's older or larger beans that benefit most, since they can be starchy and a touch bitter raw. Either way, remove the outer skin first.
Do you have to peel fava beans twice?
There are two peels: first you shell the beans out of the big outer pod, then there's a tough skin on each individual bean. Always do that first peel. The second one is up to you. Some people swear by leaving young, tender beans unpeeled, but in our experience most people prefer them with the second skin removed, especially on older, more mature beans. To me that skin is a bit like shrimp casing—some folks don't mind it, but it's really a texture thing more than a flavor one. So go by your own preference: peel them fully, or try leaving the second skin on and see what you think. Blanching first makes the second peel slip off easily. One handy trick if you'd rather not do all the peeling yourself—grill or roast the beans right in their pods, then let everyone fish out the beans at the table the way you would with edamame.
What's the easiest way to peel fava beans?
Blanch shelled beans in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into ice water—the skins slip right off when you pinch the beans. That said, you don't have to blanch at all; you can peel them raw, and if we're not doing a big batch we usually skip the blanching entirely. Either way it goes faster once you find a rhythm—and once you're quick at it, peel two-handed to really fly through a bowl.
Can you freeze fava beans?
Yes—shell them, then freeze in a single layer before bagging so they don't clump. They'll keep for months. We recommend peeling them before you freeze them to save work later. Blanching first (about 2 minutes, then an ice bath) helps if you're putting up a big batch, but it isn't required. If you want them to keep well past two or three months without any worry of freezer burn, vacuum-seal them. Thawed favas work great in cooked dishes but won't be as firm as fresh.
What do fava beans taste like?
Buttery, nutty, and slightly sweet with an earthy undertone—richer than most beans, and creamy when cooked properly. The closest comparison we've landed on: young favas are like a sweeter, more buttery edamame. As they get older and starchier, that flavor starts to cross with something more like chickpea. Either way they're more complex than most beans, which is a big part of why we love them.
When are fava beans in season?
Late spring through early summer—typically April through June in most regions. They're one of the first beans of the season. Fresh favas have a short window at farmers markets. Dried fava beans are available year-round if you want to cook them like other dried legumes.
Who should not eat fava beans?
There's a genetic condition called favism, tied to G6PD deficiency, where eating fava beans can trigger serious medical issues. This is well beyond our expertise as farmers, so if you or a family member might be affected, please check a professional medical resource and talk to your doctor. The U.S. National Library of Medicine has a good overview here.
Why are fava beans so expensive?
Honestly, once you've shelled a batch yourself, the price starts to make sense. A big pod only gives up three to eight beans, and then there's all that double-peeling—it's slow, hands-on work, and a lot of what you carry home by weight is pod you'll never eat. On top of that they've got a short season and don't ship well, so they never become a cheap commodity the way other beans do. You're really paying for a specialty crop and a whole lot of hand labor—but we think they're worth every penny.
What's the difference between fava beans and broad beans?
Nothing—they're the same thing. 'Fava' comes from Italian; 'broad bean' is the British term. In the US, you'll see both names used interchangeably. Fresh ones may be labeled either way depending on the market or region.