La faba fresca: un aprovechamiento emergente del cultivo de la faba en Asturias

Abstract

The traditional use of white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Asturias is as a dry seed. However, in recent years another type of use of this crop has emerged, which is using the un-ripened, fresh or green seed. It is considered to be a fresh bean when the seed has totally developed in the pod (in size and colour) but has not yet started to dehydrate. The pods are yellow or yellow/green in colour and are rigid and swollen (Photo 1). The seeds are over 25% larger than the dry seeds and have a water content of around 60% of their weight. This means that they can be used without the need to soak them first and avoids the necessary rehydration process needed to cook with dry seeds.