When Do Broad Beans Ripen? A Full Guide to How to Eat Them and Who Should Avoid Them

Broad beans, also known as luohan beans, horse beans, orchid beans and so on, are a dual-purpose crop for food, vegetables, feed and green manure. They are rich in nutritional value and contain 8 essential amino acids. So, when do broad beans ripen? How are they eaten? Who should not eat them?

1. When do broad beans ripen?

Broad beans generally ripen in May-June, and after ripening the skin of the pods turns black. They can be eaten, and can also be grown as feed, green manure and a nectar-source plant. They are a dual-purpose crop for food, vegetables, feed and green manure.

2. How are broad beans eaten?

1. There are many ways to eat broad beans: they can be boiled, stir-fried or deep-fried, or soaked and then shelled to be used in stir-fries or soups.

2. Made into broad bean sprouts, their flavor is even more delicious.

3. Broad bean flour is a raw material for making vermicelli, sheet jelly and so on, and can also be processed into bean paste for making pastries.

4. Broad beans can be steamed and processed into canned food, and can also be made into soy sauce, thick bean sauce, sweet sauce, chili sauce and so on. They can also be made into various snacks.

5. Broad beans can be eaten raw; freshly picked tender broad beans can be eaten raw, and this is especially common in the southern Yangtze River region.

6. Shelling broad beans: put dried broad beans into a ceramic or enamel container, add an appropriate amount of alkali, pour on boiling water and cover for one minute, and the broad bean skins can be peeled off, but the peeled broad beans must be rinsed with water to remove the alkaline taste.

3. Who should not eat broad beans?

Broad beans can generally be eaten by anyone. They are suitable for the elderly, students during exam periods, mental workers, and people with high cholesterol or constipation;

People with deficiency-cold of the middle jiao should not eat them, and anyone who has had an allergic reaction to broad beans must not eat them again;

People with hereditary red blood cell defects, and patients with bleeding hemorrhoids, indigestion, chronic colitis, uremia and so on should take care and should not eat broad beans;

Children with favism must absolutely never eat broad beans.