Fact: Growing your own garden will bring peas on earth.
There are two main types of peas: those with an inedible pod, such as shelling (garden) peas, or edible-pod peas, also known as snow or sugar snap peas. Green pea varieties can be grown on a bush or a vine.
For example, the English pea, which we are the most familiar with, grow in pods; we shell the peas out of the pods. Edible-podded peas can grow in a row or up onto fences or support system and are harvested when they are young, crisp and flat, before the pods have filled out and are normally used in stir-fry recipes or salads. Snap peas are often called sugar snaps and are grown like English peas, picked when the pods are filled out, and eaten pods and all. Southern peas are a vegetable most southerners call peas, but confusing as it may sound botanically speaking are neither a pea nor a bean. Black-eyeds, crowders and creams are the best-known southern “peas.”
Early planting tend to produce larger yields. Peas thrive in cool, moist weather and produce best in moderate climates. A successful harvest will yield approximately 2-6 pounds of peas per 10 foot row.
For best flavor, choose small peas, which are younger, sweeter, and more tender than large ones. Once picked, peas’ high sugar content changes, causing them to lose much of their sweetness and become starchy and dull. You know peas are fresh when their pods are firm and green. Avoid peas that are yellowing or wilting. Go for medium pods rather than large thick-skinned ones, which are more mature and contain larger tougher peas. Break open a pea pod and check the peas inside. They should be small, bright green, and firm; if you taste one, it should be tender and sweet.
