Fava beans have a delicious, nutty, fresh flavor, and they are becoming an increasingly popular choice at farmer's markets and in home gardens. Favas grow inside 6 to 8-inch-long pods that have a fuzzy interior and the beans themselves are encased within an inedible skin. Before you can use favas in your favorite recipe, you first have to shuck and peel the beans. Here's prepare favas for cooking:
Instructions
1. Whether you're buying beans at the market or harvesting them out of your own garden, be sure to choose pods that are firm and bright green. Give each pod a gentle squeeze; if you can feel the beans inside, then it's a good one. Avoid pods that are yellowing or shriveled, as the beans inside will be starchy and have a poor flavor. Most pods contain between three and seven beans.
2. To shuck the beans, simply break off one end of the pod and use your thumb to pry it open. Pop the beans into a bowl and make a pile of pods (I usually throw my pods into my compost pile).
3. The easiest way to peel the beans is to parboil them first. To do so, bring a large stockpot filled with water to a rolling boil. Add the beans and let them cook until they turn bright green (about 60 to 90 seconds). Then, immediately remove the pan from the stove and drain the beans into a colander. Run the beans under cold water for a minute or so to stop them from cooking any further.
4. Now you need to remove the skin surrounding each bean. Fava beans have what looks like a little seam on one side of the bean. Make a slit in the seam at one end of the bean and then squeeze the bean out. It should pop right out of the skin. I usually squeeze them right into a bowl and discard the skin. Once you've peeled the beans, they are ready to use in any recipe.
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