Snow Peas

[Bugflipper]

What do you do with snow peas? I grew them for the first time this year. I looked tonight and there was a bumper crop hiding under the foliage that was the same color. The only time I have eaten them was barely cooked (in pod) in chinese food. So how do you cook them and what methods to put them up?
Thanks

[blind ear]

I can't think of any better way than slightly cooked in chinese food.     You can blanch them a little and then freez them in bags covered with water to protect them If you have more than you can eat. How far north do you live? ear

[Bugflipper]

I'm in AL. It's been over 100 for a few weeks, 90's for over a month before that and 80's for the two months prior. No rain and searing direct sunlight for probably 3 weeks. They turned pale green like lettuce, assuming from the heat or sunlight. Have had plenty of water from the sprinkler though. Being called snow peas I wasn't sure if they were able to grow in the heat but they made it pretty good. Sometimes I wish the dog would let the deer and rabbits have some snacks. I planted the whole pack and really don't know much about them besides the few pods of them you get in chinese food aren't half bad. Ate a raw one last night and it was pretty good. So may snack on some today.

[blind ear]

I'm down south also and heat and this late is what I wondered about. I planted English peas once, by the instructions, and didn't make my seed back. I don't know if snow and english are close kin or not. ear

[Bugflipper]

I would guess they are pretty close. Today I boiled a hand full to try them that way. The pods still tasted good but the peas tasted like english peas , except crunchy. I am guessing the sugars cook out of them if you cook them very long. I don't like english peas so it looks like raw or barely cooked is the way to go. I ended up blanching and freezing quite a bit today. Tomorrow I should be able to get the rest done. I just put them in the refrigerator with a wet towel over them for now. They kept on turning paler green every day. So guessing the heat was doing them in. Glad I spotted them when I was checking to see if any slugs were in the garden. The pods were hiding up under the leaves and the plants weren't very tall.

[bilmac]

Snack on em while you are working in the garden. I grow snap peas and have at times have eaten so many in the garden I didn't have much appetite for lunch.
There are three types; shell peas which you are calling english peas, snap peas which are normally eaten pod and all when the peas are starting to make the pod bulge a bit, and snow peas where you eat the pod while it is still flat.
 
All peas dislike heat, I bet in the places you guys are living you could grow them a good part of the winter. Trick is to eat em while they are young and tender.

[Bugflipper]

Thanks Bilmac. I may try those snap peas this Fall. They are supposed to be sweet. Field peas are the only ones I have grown so far that like the heat. They also seem to do well in drought because my back garden that is not irrigated and spaced more sparsely always does very well with them. This year we didn't have Spring weather at all so the quick Spring growers were all a flop for me. I plant them in a shady spot just in case and they haven't died yet so maybe i will have a super crop this Fall. I would imagine the radishes would be close to chewing on a hickory knob though so the rabbits will get them.


Freezing the snow peas in water worked very good. I put them in plastic cups in just little single servings. Then saran wrapped them.

[rdmallory]

Planted peas for the first time this year. They are like eating rocks. Tried cooking them longer and they are like swiveled rocks.
I think I planted more then I picked.

Doug

[bilmac]

Plant them early and pick them before they get full grown. If they start turning a little pale whiteish and look a little lumpy they're not worth picking.
 
 Actually shell peas where you have to strip them out of the pod are just too much work to be worth the effort. Best thing to do with them is eat em in the garden as a treat for the gardener.

[LunaticFringeInc]

Grow  them in the early spring and fall.  I pick them when they are young and tender and add them to asian stir fry dishes which makes up a good portion of my diet.

[Hodr]

Ah Snow Peas,
Steam until just barely tender, add a little melted butter, toss lightly, sprinkle on a little pecarino romano, now you have finger food from heaven.  As an alternate you can start something like carrots or asparagus and throw the snowpeas in at the last minute or so of steaming, toss all in butter and add the pecarino romano.  Wife just looked over my shoulder, she says to tell you pecarino romano is a sheep or goat milk cheese that is ground like parmesean and about three times as flavorful, she should know her Mama was Sicilian.
 
Hodr