Category Archives: harvesting fava beans

Growing Fava Beans

fava bean tincture, G6pd blood test, harvesting fava beans

Dear Aunt Bean:

Can you be more specific with the process for making the fava bean tincture? I have ordered seeds to grow the beans to make a tincture. Getting info from you would be easier than re-inventing the wheel.

1-What will the bean look like when it is mature?

ANSWER: At maturity…you will see the large beans firm and bulging inside the pod.

2-What then? Pick and let dry? Do they have to dry? Can dry beans be kept in freezer until ready to sprout at a later time, like in winter?

ANSWER:  To use the l-dopa…we usually pick the pods a few inches long when pretty and green and unspotted. The mature beans are usually getting aphid spots that have to be cut out OR the whole been may need tossed. The mature bean pods and the young ones have the same amount of l-dopa (so we pick young!!)
We  open the pods / remove the beans / steam pods and beans separately and enjoy the beans for meals (not much l-dopa , but a good gentle support for the next day). The pods we juice and usually make bean blobs (Dried chips) from them . The juice can also be frozen in ice cube trays and used as a drink when needed.

Mature dry beans can be kept in the freezer but it is not necessary unless you are afraid of bugs getting to them or varying house temperatures or dampness that would cause them to sprout.

3-How do you sprout them? in water? wrapped in a damp paper towel? Rinse?  I have seen your info after that; steam, mash, soak in brandy.

ANSWER:   Soak for 24  hrs in a bowl in filtered water / then rinse 3 times a day for 3 days.  Peel off the thin skin membrane  then steam 6 to 8 minutes and freeze and eat as needed  or make sprout balls  / or can tincture them to make liquid l-dopa mash the sprouts/ place in a glass jar / cover with brandy and close tightly with lid/ shake for 1 month / strain/ let stand a day for the sediment to settle/ then siphon off  (leaving sediment in the bottom) and label the bottle.

Start out with just a couple of drops until you find the proper dose for you.   MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A G6pd blood test before doing anything with favas  and consult your doctor before embarking on this adventure. If you are already on meds you can get into serious trouble experimenting.

4-About how many beans make how much tincture?

Answer….I usually use fava plant tops.  I will have to do a new batch of sprout tincture to count beans for certain size jar,   but I’ll do that and report

5-Will the tincture “go bad” – thinking about how much can be made ahead.

ANSWER:  We have kept tincture a year past that I don’t know

6-In my research I found a Fava called “Ianto’s Return” (sometimes Ianto’s, or sometimes Lanto’s) “Originally introduced by Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds. A large-seeded Guatemalan variety that reaches 6 feet tall. The bright yellow seeds are reputed to contain elevated levels of dopamine.” Is this the variety that you grow?

ANSWER:   I am using a generic variety (Who knows)  that the health food store had shipped in for me  Organic Sproutable Fava Beans”    Most favas are pretty much the same.  I’ve tried 10 varieties so far *My favorite was Prescose Violetto (Italian) but Windsors are most common

Perhaps you can write up some instructions to email when requested – I think you have come upon something wonderful for those of us with PD Thank you for your discovery and for sharing! I’m looking forward to trying this and getting off of or reducing pharmaceutical dopamine.

Mary

Harvesting Fava Beans to Make a Tincture

fava bean tincture, harvesting fava beans

What will the fava bean look like when it is mature?

The pods become large and the beans will be FULL feeling inside and firm. The bean’s pod may begin to darken slightly     Main thing to watch for is aphids.   Spray weekly with parsley tea (big hand full of dried parsley steeped in 1 gallon boiling water for half hour). Let cool and spray plants with this.

 Any special instructions on growing?

Some plants become tall and need stacked. Others are shorter. It is still helpful to hill soil around them for support. Watch for aphids!!

What then? Pick and let dry? Do they have to dry? Can dry beans be kept in freezer until ready to sprout at a later time, like in winter?

The green pods are the most useful part of the plant. Juice them  at any size (as long as they are pretty…not black spotted).   Juice and freeze juice or make fava chips  by adding ground flax seed. Salt to taste  and dry blobs in dehydrator. These really work good for l-dopa.

You can also just drink the juice or freeze in ice cube trays perhaps in whatever dose size your body needs. Everyone is different!!

How do you sprout them?

Soak beans overnight in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Then, rinse three times a day for 3 whole days. Peel, rinse and steam them for 8 minutes. They are then ready to freeze or stir fry with garlic & onions or make into Fava Sprout  Balls ::  Mash steamed beans: Add peanut butter and ground oatmeal.

Look up : “No Bake Cookies” on internet  and revise as needed. People only have to find sproutable organic fava beans at the health food store to make these  They are a very good source of l-dopa.

I really prefer using sprouts instead of the  tincture of bean sprouts because there is not a great deal of l- dopa when it is completed. Thus for the tincture I prefer using the fava plant tops.

About how many beans make how much tincture?

Use 2 cups of steamed, mashed sprouts  to 1 C Brandy

Will the tincture “go bad” – thinking about how much can be made ahead.

This I cannot answer…haven’t had it for more than a month at a time.   The fava tops tincture has lasted a year (haven’t had it any longer).

In my research I found a Fava called “Ianto’s Return” (sometimes Ianto’s, or sometimes Lanto’s) “Originally introduced by Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds. A large-seeded Guatemalan variety that reaches 6 feet tall. The bright yellow seeds are reputed to contain elevated levels of dopamine.” Is this the variety that you grow?

I have never had this variety . I buy generic, organic fava beans from the health food store in 20 lb bags.

I do highly recommend a G6pd blood test for anyone planning to try using favas for medicine.

I also recommend making your own fermented papaya. It helps symptoms amazingly well, even dried store papaya is helping a friend who is going natural like me. My friend also uses mucuna capsules 2AM    and one   1 PM and fava tops tincture in between and she is doing wonderfully.

May God Bless You and guide you in your quest for optimum good health.

Aunt Bean

Fermented Papaya Chips as Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

harvesting fava beans, Papaya Chips

Hello from Bean Acres. Things are going well on the farm. The greenhouse is partially up and my papaya “trees” are growing well. One is as tall as me. Actually they are not a tree , but a very fast growing plant that can live many years, continuing to grow and produce larger fruit each year.

I am doing very well. Not sure if it is from watermelon or other things…I am the best outdoors working hard in the sunshine. Taking very little tincture right now, but still using 2 dried fermented papaya chips every morning. My 86 yr old dad takes them too and it has helped with his balance issues also. Have several bean patches planted (over 600 plants now) and starting to harvest the tops now.

I want to try a tincture made from sprouted fava beans next and will let you all know how it turns out next month. If it works, anyone could make their own tincture without having to try to grow a garden of favas.

God Bless You All

Sandra

Fava Bean Spring Harvest

harvesting fava beans
Well, the farm has been officially named:   “Bean Acres”  .   Remember the Green Acres series on TV, we are developing our own song now to go along with the farm.

Newest development…a new neighbor has moved in and he owns a Kabota with a shovel on the front and a tiller on the back……he tilled under the buttercups that were trying to take over my garden!  It looks wonderful.

Also he is a “goat person” and we are hoping by next year to be set up to have a couple of milk goats. He was milking several when he moved. We are still looking for someone able to move the huge hoop greenhouse  that is on his place…but he said , no rush.  God is good!

The fava beans under the row cover in the 50′ bed are now making beans. I have started my first tincture off their tops (which will make enough for about 2 months of doses for me). I am excited..spring has come!

Blessings …………..

Aunt Bean 

Harvesting Mucuna Beans

harvesting fava beans, mucuna beans

Things are going well. Just planted a 50 foot raised bed of two rows of fava bean. Now there are hoop frames in place so they can be covered if the temperatures drop to 26 degrees. I really feel like they could grow here year round with a few nights  of protection in the winter.

I started harvesting the mucuna beans we have growing up the backside of the barn. Shelled and steamed them and tried one.  It tasted so good that I ate another one (no discipline!) Well, it was a bit too much…I’ve found that one very small one is about right for me and holds me a long time. (probably 1/2 of a full sized one would be enough). I think I will try to tincture them…not sure how yet.

The chickens have a fenced area in back of the barn now. We dug potatoes and peanuts and still need to dig sweet potatoes. Need to dry some more comfrey leaves and make echinacea tincture yet and cook up some more kushaw pumpkins to freeze for pie.   Then, perhaps I can slow down here and enjoy making music with friends and at the nursing homes in the area…they enjoy the music so very much.

That’s all for now…enjoy the fall weather and beautiful colors all around us.

Blessings  …….Aunt Bean

Mucuna Bean and Fava Bean Harvest

harvesting fava beans, mucuna beans

We started harvesting mucuna beans yesterday. The vines have gotten to at least 14 ft tall up the back side of our barn. Some of the vines reached the top and turned the corner, starting around the side !

The beans pods are very hard to open, which is necessary in getting the beans out. I preyed and cut on them with a knife and each one took a couple of minutes (a bit time consuming and hard on the fingers).   The next bunch I tried steaming the whole bean pod and then opening them up. That was a bit faster, still not easy…but the beans were already steamed and ready to pop out of their inner rubbery covering when it was done. So, that will be the method of choice for the next batch I pick.

I ate 2 steamed beans in place of a fava tincture dose. They definitely worked, but may have been a bit more than I needed…I was ready to wrestle tigers, but I got a lot of work done in the next few hours, with no bad effects.

Today I tried just one bean in place of tincture. My tapping was not as quick, but I am completely functional on one. So, time will tell if the mucunas will be grown next year…they are a lot of work when it comes to shelling them, unless I can find an easier method. But, they work.

I have harvested several batches of fava plant tops now and a few beans. Have had a little trouble with aphids on the plants on the farm, and will probably have to make a point of spraying them with mild dish soap & water every week or so to avoid plant damage. Have started making raised beds to cover and try to grow favas all winter. Will let you know if this works…….

Blessings!

Aunt Bean

I Would Never Guess He Had PD

growing Fava beans, harvesting fava beans

Hi Robert….just wanted to fill you in on the farm.   Things are going well…couldn’t do it without Dad, who just turned 85.  He brush-hogged for me this week.

A young man with PD drove over from Knoxville area and helped in the garden last Tuesday and then came to our support group meeting.  He was a real encouragement to me. He is the only person I’ve met with PD that excercizes like I do.  He rides long distances on his bicycle, sometimes with his airforce buddies. He is in great shape and I would never guess that he had PD.  It helped me alot to know that people out there do care about what I am trying to do on the farm.  Plus he helped me make a long raised bed to hoop frame & cover for winter favas.  I think we might be able to grow them year round here if they have a cover.

Still picking green beans, greens , beets, carrots, tomatoes and hopefully corn on Saturday.  God is Good.  Have several small batches of tincture made, and saw my first couple of fall fava beans on the plants yesterday.

Blessings to all

Aunt Bean

Fava Beans and Parkinson’s – We are Harvesting!

fava bean tincture, harvesting fava beans

Picked my first beans of the season yesterday and today.  Some were as big as my thumb already and I didn’t know there were any out there.

I have about a quart and a half steamed and in the freezer and the big ones ready to juice. Will let you know how the raw juice experiment goes.

My friend is improved already in her movement and mood since yesterday…she has been with out fresh beans for several months and it has been hard on her. I am depending on the tincture still, but the fresh beans are quite a treat for me.

PD Support Group picnic is June 15 at the farm, so all my energy is going into finishing the raised beds/ planting/ making the garden paths wheelchair and couple walking friendly for all.   God Bless.    Sandra

Growing and Harvesting Fava Beans

fava bean tincture, growing Fava beans, harvesting fava beans

what follows is a translation of the my interview with Sandra Bowman on February 4, 2010 which includes the questions I asked and her answers:

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

1. How did you come to try fava beans as therapy for PD?

I started searching books for possible natural treatments for PD in January 1009. Came across a book “Green Pharmacy” by James A .Duke PhD.  He spoke of favas for PD & that started the ball rolling…lots of research and a search for seeds to plant. I am an organic gardener and am fascinated with herbs and natural medicine..so this was a new challenge for me.

2. Why are fava beans supposed to give relief from PD symptoms?

The whole aerial plant contains l-dopa. Especially, the immature green pods.  Since it is a natural form of l-dopa, the body recognizes & utilizes it very efficiently. Part of this is because it is a whole food, not a synthetic, man made form…..just God -given.

3. How have fava beans helped you and your friend?

My friend takes a small amount of sinemet and a couple of beans at medication times.  The favas are supplying most of her l-dopa. This seems to be giving her longer “on” times . Taking less sinemet seems to mean less withdrawal time from sinemet. She tries to take all of her sinemet before lunch time and then supplement in the afternoon with bean products dries bean chips/ bean cookies/tincture, etc… Personally, I am not on any pharmaceuticals for PD,  and just taking a few drops of tincture when I feel PD symptoms coming on, is enough to let me get through the day symptom free.

4. Can everyone use fava beans?

No.  Some people have  a genetic condition called favism. People with favism have an deficiency that makes it very dangerous to use favas…consumption can be fatal.  There is a simple blood test called a G6PD which detects if you have this condition and should not use fava beans. The test cost me $65. and was well worth it.

5. How do you prepare fava beans?

I have found that picking the immature pods at about 2 1/2 inches is the best for us. They have a great buttery taste and no strings.  We steam them for about 6 minutes,/ then freeze them on cookie sheets for about 15 minutes/then place them in  freezer bags and return them to the freezer. My friend enjoys  them the right from the freezer…2-4 pods with her sinemet dose .. Bean chips & cookies were made by putting large favas (past the stage of eating the pod) through a Champion Juicer, which takes out all the indigestible fiber, etc. ..and using that juice to make tasty l-dopa treats. We keep our “treats” frozen and use them to ward off symptoms,  They are great also for car trips, just to carry along if needed.  The possibilities are endless.

6. Are fava beans hard to grow?

They were a pleasure to me, but some people would consider them difficult. Some of the plants become tall, depending on the variety of fava and on the composition of the soil. Ours had to be staked to prevent them from falling over when they reach about 4 foot. (Falling over can break the plant/ or they sometimes start getting discolored leaves and beans because of close contact to the ground..neither of which I wanted). So, I hammered stakes in each row with about 6 plants in between, and did what is called a Florida weave to secure them in upright position.

I learned to do this when growing a field of tomatoes one year. When  done properly, a whole field can be tied  in a very short time. A couple of weeks later. A second level of string is used to envelope the plants as they grow taller. The biggest time consumer is hammering stakes if you grow a large crop. The plants are very hardy and ours survived temperatures down to 26 degrees here in Tennessee. When it dropped lower, they were hit hard……though it looks like they may come back from the roots possibly if the weather ever warms up again.  This is the coldest winter I have seen here. Favas like cool weather. They are actually in the pea family/ and not a bean. They do not tolerate very hot weather. I plan to plant my spring crop, Lord willing, in the end of February or first of March.  Once you look at the beautiful, and prolific  flowers on the plants, you will see why the bees and other insects migrate to your favas…they are amazing.  I found that soaking the seeds for about 2 days, until they bgin to sprout, is best and then setting them directly out into the soil about 10 inches apart and 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep. Once they have developed their first 2 leaves, the root is close to a foot long.  They are a good soil builder and bring alot of nutrients up to the surface from deep in the ground. They are used as “cover crops” in some places plowed under to fertilize the soil, and then the area is replanted.

7.  Where can a person get fava beans if they cannot grow their own?

We have not yet located a source for young/ green/ immature pods. I have come across dried beans in several markets, and even full sized bean pods in Earth Fare…but neither of these will give the l-dopa we need for PD. You may find a local farmer who would be willing to raise a crop for you. You would have to specify the length you want the beans / or go pick them yourself & come home & process them immediately… so as not to loose the medicinal qualities of the beans. It is best to grow/ harvest & process your own and this will be a priority for me ss long as I am able. The beans (seeds)  themselves , whether green or dry,  contain very little levadopa….it is the leaves, stems, and the pods surrounding  the bean seeds that contain the levadopa.

8.Can fava beans be used in conjunction with other medications??

They do not appear to conflict with sinemet, but there is a fine balance between not enough l-dopa and too much.  If my friend eats too many beans with her sinemet dose..she appears to be drunk and tends to fall.

It would be great if each person’s body metabolism were the same and a clear dose could be established, but it doesn’t work that way. It has been our experience that most doctors are not familiar with fava beans and other natural remedies, and will likely advise sinemet or other PD meds.    I have chosen to stay away from synthetic l-dopa & stick with what I know and consider natural, so that my body can  stay at it’s optimal health.

9.. Do doctors prescribe fava beans??

In Europe, people have used favas for PD therapy for a long time. Favas are also a very popular food in Europe.

In the United States, most people have never heard of favas. However, there is a product called Balance D that is available in the US ..a supplement containing fava, by Neuroscience. It was recommended to my friend by her doctor.

10. You mentioned a fava tincture..can you tell us about that?

I wanted something that would capture the essence and l-dopa of the plant, and preserve it. Mainly, because there is the problem of having to grow a year’s supply of pods and freeze them. There is always a possibility of a power outage and a years supply would be lost. Since I have been making Echinacea tincture for years from my garden I wondered,

Could the same could be done with the fava plant?

A specific part of the plant captured my attention, so I went through-out the garden harvesting these little “tops”…a little hidden , protected part of the plant. They were placed in a dehydrator to dry and then into a jar with brandy. This was shaken for a month, several times a day. Then, it was strained.  It looked good, and I played the part of a white experimental rat and took several drops to see what would happen. I didn’t see any change right away, but later, went outside and was coming up the steps and noticed that I didn’t halt on my right hip/leg like I always did. I went back down & climbed up the steps again. It wasn’t my imagination.  Started trying other things that I usually couldn’t do…and kept noticing other improvements…..it was easy to drive the car, my reaction time was much improved. The list went on on. Decided to take another drop at bedtime…and actually got a good night’s sleep. I have been using the tincture now since October 9th. Still no side effects,  besides lack of PD symptoms.  If I feel symptoms starting…I just take a couple of drops and in about   15 minutes I don’t notice them anymore.

Ken Alan…a fellow PD patient has been growing favas for a few years. I sent him some of my tincture and he “kitchen tested it”. He wrote back that there was approximately 1 mg levadopa in 2 drops tincture. I have been taking this  small dose 3 to 4 times a day to alleviate my symptoms.

11.Can you provide tincture to other people??

No.  I feel that much research needs to be done on the tincture, and perhaps a better base can be found to draw out even more of the levadopa than brandy.  I plan to experiment in the spring with wine vinegar for tincture. But, I cannot test for levadopa and each batch will be slightly different, because of the soil area in which the favas are grown / the time of year the top is harvested/and the chosen liquid base for the tincture.

I want to make a plea for someone, or perhaps a medical school to take on the fava project that I started. I will help in any way I can to make this valuable way of using favas available to other people with PD who would benefit from it, as I have.

12. Do you find that stress is related to the symptoms of PD??

Absolutely. I have never been a person that got “stressed out”. Now that I have PD symptoms, little things that I would never have noticed before will suddenly cause symptoms to get worse…a dog that won’t stop barking/ cold weather, and not being able to get warm./ a doctors appointment/ driving a car/ even being around someone else who is stressed can upset the balance. A pain or low blood sugar level can also bring on symptoms, emotions that are intense., both good or bad ,can “really upset the apple cart”. Every part of our being is involved , from facial expressions / sleep patterns/ and mobility. Stiffening and panic attacks can come on suddenly because of stress,  No amount of PD meds can bring relief , it seems , until the cause of stress is alleviated.

13. Aside from fava beans, what other therapies help you with symptoms?

I do best on days when I can get out and enjoy the sunshine…PD’ers usually have a shortage of Vit D I have been told. A possitive attitude and outlook on life.

I have learned to do a lot of stretching. A few years ago, I was blessed to meet a wonderful physical therapist who worked with PD patients. One of the most important things he taught me, was that in PD you have to train yourself to be aware of your posture  and your movement. Before PD, your body goes through the motions of life automatically. This radically changes with PD.  We must consciously move our bodies. For example: I was in the physical therapist’s office one day when a man & his wife came in.  The man had PD, and was walking with his shoulders slumped over & shuffling his feet. Bill said,

“I want you to stand up straight, and walk forward, picking up your knees.”

The man did.  I was amazed.  The wife said,

“Why doesn’t he do that at home?”

The answer was, “Because he doesn’t think about it!”

That stirred alot of “thinking in me”.  I was already struggling with neck problems, forward head position and slumped shoulders and slight balance issues.  I was determined to have good posture  and started working on stretches & exercises . It was alot of hard work, but , as time went on, I started to see & feel noticeable improvement. Since then, with PD symptoms showing up…I realize how invaluable all that hard work was.

When I first wake up in the morning..I have to stretch my neck and upper back muscles to their limit to get the “giant” (I call it) off my back. Then, I progress to doorframe stretches to bring my head and shoulders up to proper posture for the day. I enjoy exercise, gardening, dance, kayaking and music.  Life is good, very busy and fulfilling. Now with the fava tincture…my life is so much easier and more fun, too. I enjoy helping others and especially those with PD. One of my main goals in life is to help find ways to make life easier for those I have come to love and appreciate so much.

14. Do you have a website that would help people understand the use of fava beans and how to grow them?

No, but there is a man in Canada, Ken Allan, who has been so much support to me in this adventure with the favas. He also has PD and has grown and used them to supplement his sinemet for several years now. Here is his website:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~allan/

15. Is there a fava bean support group where people can get answers to their questions about growing and using the beans?

No,  not that I am aware of, but it is a great idea.  Could Parkinsons Recovery start an online support group where people could share valuable information about fava beans and their uses and how to grow them?

I am happy to share the little bit of information that we have gleaned over the past 12 months. I pray that many of your listeners will be encouraged to grow their own favas and that we will find people interested in doing valuable research on these amazing fava beans.    May God Bless You   .    Sandra