Portuguese Favas Stew Seasoning Mix

Favas is a very traditional dish in Portuguese dish. Make this juicy delicious dish cooked right in your crock pot.

This Easy Favas Stew Recipe on the Back of Package:

Ingredients:

• 2 (19.0 oz.) cans of Gonsalves Fava Beans OR ½ pound (8oz.) dry Fava Beans
• 1 package of Portuguese Favas seasoning mix.

Canned Fava Bean Directions:

1. Add 2 cans Gonsalves fava beans with can liquid and add 1/2 cup water to your crock pot. 
2. Mix in seasoning packet.
3. Cover crock pot and cook 3 hours on hi or 6 hours on low.

* Make it a hearty favas dish by adding 1 link of sliced Portuguese sausage.

Dry Fava Bean Directions:

1. Add 8 cups of water. Stir in 1 ½ tablespoons salt, and dried fava beans to a large bowl. Soak fava beans for about 24 hours at room temperature.
2. After beans have soaked, drain.
3. Add 4 cups fresh water to your crockpot. Mix in soaked fava beans, and seasoning packet.
4. Cover your crock pot and cook on HI for 6 hours.

* Make it a hearty favas dish by adding 1 link of sliced Portuguese sausage.

Salty Soak for Fava Beans
Brining isn't just for meat. When you soak dried beans in salted water, they cook up with softer skins.

Why? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are more weakly charged than calcium and magnesium ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans.