When my grandmother in England began serving young, freshly shelled peas that had just been just blanched in boiling water with chopped fresh mint and a hefty pat of butter, I knew that spring had finally sprung. Those peas had the most incredible tenderness and pure, sweet flavor, with just the right amount of crunch. We ate them virtually every day until we could no longer find them at the supermarket because they were only available for a few short weeks.
Let’s skip ahead a few decades. Now that I’m a chef in New York, not much has changed. I buy pounds of green pea pods several times a week starting in May when piles of them start to show up in nearby markets so I don’t miss out on this uncommon spring delight. Having a ton of fresh, sweet, bright-green peas on hand to cook up delectable side dishes with or sprinkle in salads or pastas is the ultimate indulgence of the season, and it more than makes up for the fact that I don’t particularly enjoy shelling peas.
What you need to know about buying & storing fresh peas
Select tiny, just-picked peas. Small peas, which are younger, sweeter, and more sensitive than large ones, are your best bet for the finest flavor; just make sure they’re as fresh as you can get them. Peas have a high sugar content that alters after picking, leading them to lose a lot of their sweetness and turn starchy and bland. Avoid peas that are browning or withering as they are freshest when their pods are firm and green. Instead of huge, thick-skinned pods, choose medium-sized ones because they are more developed and contain larger, tougher peas. Check the peas within a pod by cracking it open. If you taste one, it should be soft and sweet. They should be small, brilliant green, and firm.
If all that’s available are big, mature peas, go with frozen peas. Young peas are more sensitive and sweet, and mature peas are less adaptable. I find that their harder texture only works well in stews and braises because they need to be cooked for a longer period of time and more slowly.
Utilize them right away or freeze them. I don’t advise keeping peas in their shells or in their pods for very long because they don’t have a long shelf life. Use pods within a few days after storing them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. The best way to store peas once they have been shelled is to freeze them. To keep their vivid color, first blanch them for a minute or two in boiling, salted water, and then shock them in an ice-water bath until cold. In zip-top bags, drain them and freeze them. They’ll last between five and six months.
Peas are a great ingredient for quick weeknight meals because they cook up quickly, especially when they’re extremely fresh and young. This is something I also like about them in addition to their sweet flavor. In actuality, cooking them as little as possible, just long enough to make them tender, is the key to preserving their sweetness and vibrant green color. Peas also adapt well to practically every way of preparation, including boiling, steaming, sautéing, stir-frying, and rapid braising. You can use them as the centerpiece of a side dish, like I did with my quick-braised peas, or you can puree them and incorporate them into soups, stews, or pasta dishes after giving them a quick blanch. Additionally, they taste fantastic raw in salads when they’re little and tender.
The moderate sweetness of peas complements a wide range of flavors. The obvious saltiness of cured meats like bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, smoked ham, and chorizo pairs perfectly with the mild flavor of peas. Another traditional taste combination that instantly brings life to peas is fresh mint. But I also enjoy combining peas with other springtime fresh herbs like tarragon, chervil, chives, basil, and chervil. Peas go perfectly with alliums like onions, scallions, and carrots. They also go well with asparagus, new potatoes, fava beans, and other spring vegetables. I prepare peas as a side dish to go with chicken, lamb, duck, or any fish, but cod, salmon, and scallops are my favorites.
Great tips for working with peas:
- Use frozen peas if you’re in a pinch. Frozen peas are a fantastic substitute if you can’t find decent fresh peas or you’re craving peas when the season is past. They are typically harvested while they are young and tender and frozen right away, so they frequently have a sweeter flavor than freshly harvested peas that have been left out for too long. If sweet fresh peas aren’t available, you can use frozen peas in all of these recipes.
- Keep in mind that 1 pound of fresh peas in their pods will make around 6 ounces (1 cup) of shelled peas when purchasing fresh peas.
- Make soup instead of throwing the pods away. Save the empty pea pods after shelling all those peas to make a straightforward pea broth that you can use to flavor other soups, stews, and braises, like this one. The pods should be placed in a big pot with at least an inch of water on top to prepare the broth. Add some salt and some finely sliced onion. After 25 minutes of simmering, drain the mixture and remove the pods. In the refrigerator, the broth will last for two days, and in the freezer, it will last for approximately a month.
Shelling peas is easy
Okay, I’ll admit it: Shelling peas might be time-consuming, but it’s simple and well worth the effort. Pry the pod open, pull the stringy fiber from the seam, and then use your thumb to run along the interior of the pod to separate the peas.
My sweet pea seeds can I keep them?
To tie in sweet peas, view David Hurrion’s No Fuss video tutorial here:
When blossoms start to develop, start fertilizing with a heavy potash fertilizer, such tomato food. Picking regularly will promote more blooms and stop plants from setting seed. In extremely dry conditions and when growing in pots, water sweet peas.
Learn how to extend your sweet pea crops in this useful video from Monty Don. Monty explains how routine picking will keep your plants in bloom well into September and throughout the summer. Additionally, you’ll always have fresh flowers for the home:
Growing sweet peas: problem solving
Young sweet pea plants are prone to slug and snail damage. Use copper bands, beer traps, or the biological control Nemaslug to keep them away. Learn more about repelling snails and slugs.
Leggy sweet peas can occur occasionally. David Hurrion offers the following advice on how to save them:
The soil around plants can become particularly dry in hot, bright weather, which can cause sweet peas to lose their blossoms. Check out this Quick Tips video with Catherine Mansley from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for tips on how to handle and avoid this issue:
Saving sweet pea seeds
Starting in early September, seed can be harvested. Till they have taken on the color of a paper bag, leave the seed pods on the plants. When you’re ready to sow them, gather them on a dry day, separate them from their pods, and store them in paper bags in a dry location.
How should pea pods be kept in the refrigerator?
Peas are a great addition to most meals and are a great source of protein, iron, and fiber. There are several varieties of peas, some of which feature edible pods, such as snow peas (shells). However, garden peas are the most popular type of pea, and only the peas, not the pods, are consumed. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to store peas to suit your needs.
Peas should be kept in their pods in the fridge. You should never wash or put unwashed peas in an unsealed bag or container, regardless of whether the peas are in edible pods or not. For up to five days, store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
- Peas are a great addition to most meals and are a great source of protein, iron, and fiber.
- There are several varieties of peas, some of which feature edible pods, such as snow peas (shells).
Defrost garden peas. Wash the peas after removing them from the pods. Then boil them for one to two minutes to blanch them. After draining them in a colander, immediately submerge them in ice water to stop the cooking process. Put the peas in a freezer-safe bag or container after draining them once more. The freezer bag should have as little air as possible before being sealed. If at all feasible, fill the container with peas until they are roughly 1/2 inch from the rim. In a year, use frozen garden peas.
- Wash the peas after removing them from the pods.
- After draining them in a colander, immediately submerge them in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Garden peas can be dried rather than frozen for long-term storage. Cook similarly to how it was in step 2, but instead boil for three to four minutes. Spread the dried peas out. A dehydrator is another option. Once the peas have dried and become shriveled, put them in a tight container and keep them somewhere dry, cool, and dark, such a basement or garage. Dried peas can be preserved for up to two years if this is done correctly.
freezable pea pods (with the peas still inside). Boil your pods for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes after washing them. Place them in extremely cold water after draining in a colander. Drain thoroughly, then freeze in a bag or other container. Again, make sure the bag is deflated as much as possible or the container is nearly full. Within a year, use frozen edible pea pods.
Pea pods can be frozen without first being blanched.
Before placing the peas in the freezer, they must be blanched. Put 4 quarts of water in a kettle and bring to a boil to blanch. Prepare the pods as directed in the preceding sentence while the water is heating. Boiling water is added to 2 to 3 cups of pea pods, then they are covered. Set the timer for exactly 1.5 minutes, then immediately remove from heat. The pea pods should be immediately placed in a bowl of ice water for two minutes to stop the cooking process after draining off the water (keep it and use it to water plants once it has cooled!).
Pea pods should be taken out of the basin and dried on paper towels. Snow peas or sugar snap peas should be put in freezer bags or containers, sealed, labeled, and kept there.
They can last for up to 8 months. Beyond that point, they’ll still be “decent,” but the quality starts to deteriorate.
How are pea pods dried?
In a perfect world, you would just leave the pods on the plant to dry out in the warm, sunny weather that we typically get in Britain (well, we can hope!). When the mature pods are shook, the peas can be heard rattling within as they turn brown and hard.
Typically, the peas need to complete drying inside. Remove the entire plant and hang it upside-down from a greenhouse, shed roof, or the rafters of a garage, for example. Anyplace that is warm and dry and has sufficient airflow would do.
When the pea pods start to crack, shell them out and let them dry for a further few days to a week. The peas must be dry in order to prevent mold growth and spoilage. However, avoid drying them in an oven or dehydrator because the heat will be too intense and your stored pea seeds won’t be viable.
Can you store sweet pea seeds for the next season?
Heirloom or old-fashioned sweet peas are lovely and aromatic blossoms. Pick an heirloom variety if you want to save seeds. Modern hybrid seeds could be disappointing because they won’t likely resemble the parent plants.
You don’t need to go to the trouble of saving seeds if you intend to grow sweet peas in the same garden location again the following year. The seed pods rupture when they dry, dispersing their contents to the ground. These seeds will produce blossoms during the next year. However, use these simple steps to gather the seeds if you wish to plant them somewhere else or share your supply with a friend.
Stop deadheading a select few strong, lovely plants. The blossoms must stay on the plant until they are dead since seedpod formation doesn’t start until after the flower has died. The rest of the garden’s plants should be cared for as usual, with deadheading to ensure continuous spring flowering.
Choosing sweet peas and perennial peas
The major consideration is whether or not aroma is crucial to you when deciding between perennial Lathyrus and sweet peas. Decide if you would then like an annual or perennial plant. There are several color choices available as well as climbing and bushier varieties.
Fragrance
Choose sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), which are generally very fragrant, if you enjoy a pleasant garden and sweet-smelling flowers for indoor use.
Lord Anson’s blue pea (Lathyrus nervosus), a perennial Lathyus, is an exception to the rule since it does have a perfume.
Colour
The annual sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) has a large variety of blossom colors, including bicolored varieties. However, the perennial varieties do come in some uncommon colors, like yellow and orange.
Habit
The majority of Lathyrus are climbing plants, therefore support them with canes, netting, or allow them to climb over a bank or through a bush. For ground cover and pots, clumping varieties like the spring-flowering Lathyrus vernus and dwarf bushy sweet pea varieties like “Snoopea” and “Bijou Mixed” are excellent choices.
Buying sweet peas and perennial peas
Although many garden centers also sell a few sweet pea seeds in packets, the largest assortment of sweet pea seeds may be acquired from internet seed suppliers. In the spring, several nurseries and garden centers sell pots of germinated sweet pea seedlings that can be divided into individual plants and raised in pots before being planted outside.
There are a few seed specialists who sell perennial Lathyrus seeds, like Lathyrus latifolius, but many gardeners opt to purchase the plants instead. The plant you’re looking for can be found using our Find a Plant tool.
When to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
- Annual sweet peas should be sown either in late January or early April and planted out in April.
- Sow perennial Lathyrus in the spring or the fall.
Where to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
Locate a sunny area where there is room for the plant to grow or to bush out (depending on its habit). Also acceptable is a little light shade, especially for Lathyrus grandiflorus.
How to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
- To avoid cold shock, indoor seedlings should be hardened off for 10–14 days before being transplanted outside.
- Ideally, four weeks before planting, enhance the soil by incorporating a soil conditioner like garden compost or manure.
- Sprinkle general-purpose fertilizer, as directed on the pack, into the area where you plan to plant it, such as Growmore, Vitax Q4, or blood, fish, and bones.
- Before planting, water your plants thoroughly to hydrate the roots.
- Remove pots from larger plants and ease seedlings out of modules or pots while being careful not to snap or crush the stems.
- Plants should be separated by 20–30 cm (8–1 ft).
- Place climbing plants near to their intended support (within 5-7.5cm or 2-3in), with two plants at the foot of each cane if they are climbing a wigwam.
- After planting, water once more to help the soil surrounding the roots settle.
Use garden twine or sweet pea support rings to secure young climbing plant shoots to canes, pea sticks, netting, trellis, or shrub shoots that they will be growing up. Tendrils in contact with supports will naturally start to cling on, but if any are straying or in danger of snapping, keep tying in new shoots.
In dry weather, check on plants in the ground every 3 to 4 days and on those in containers every day because they won’t flower as well if they become too dry. Each time you water, be sure to use enough water to completely moisten the roots.
Apply a high potassium liquid fertilizer, such as tomato feed, once or twice a week on light or infertile soils. This promotes flowering, particularly in annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus).
Pick or remove dead flower heads as frequently as you can once flowering starts. For annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), which will stop flowering if seedpods are allowed to form, this is especially crucial.
Pinching out
When plants are around 7.5 to 10 cm tall, pinch out the shoot tips of new spring-sown sweet peas for gardening (3-4in). This promotes robust side branching. Autumn-sown seedlings often branch naturally.
Cordons
Pick the strongest shoot and keep pinching out all the tendrils and other sideshoots as they grow whether you want to enter your sweet peas in a local show or just want to maximize the size of blossoms for cutting. By using this technique, the plant directs its attention to the blossoms. The term “cordons” is used to describe these single-stemmed plants.
They need regular tying in to a tall stake or bamboo cane, one stem per cane. To keep the shoot in place as it grows, you can use twine looped in a figure-eight pattern around the cane and stem. Use sweet pea rings, which are wire loops that wrap around the stem and cane and are lightly squeezed until they hold, to make things simpler.
Cordons have the potential to grow much taller than the typical 2 m (6 1/2 ft) estimated height.
Cutting back
Cut perennial Lathyrus back to the ground in the fall, or better still, wait until February to do it so the dead stems can serve as wintertime cover for wildlife. When flowering is ended at the end of the summer, annual sweet peas can simply be pulled out and composted. This might happen a little bit sooner during hot, dry seasons.
Methods
Sweet peas can be immediately sown into the ground in April, or they can be planted in seed compost pots in the fall or spring. Although it takes more time, pot-sowing is typically more dependable than direct sowing. If you plant in the fall to enhance your chances of getting early blooms, keep seedlings in a coldframe or cold greenhouse over the winter to protect them from growing lanky. Keep the coldframe’s lid elevated unless a strong frost is anticipated. Sweet peas planted in the spring flower in 12–14 weeks.
Sweet pea seeds frequently have a tough outer covering that makes them more challenging to germinate. Place your seeds on a layer of damp vermiculite or kitchen tissue and store them in an airtight container in a warm area. As soon as the seeds swell or start to sprout, plant them. Some gardeners like to soak the seeds overnight instead, but if you don’t plant them right away thereafter, they might rot. With a sharp penknife, chip off a little portion of the hard seed coat to allow moisture to enter and promote germination on recalcitrant seeds that haven’t swelled.
- Individually sow seeds in seed compost-filled rootrainers or 9 cm (3 in) pots. As an alternative, sow five to seven seeds per 13 cm (5 in) pot, spacing them 2-3 cm (3/4-11/4 in) apart.
- Add 1 cm (1/2 in) of vermiculite or compost to the top of the seeds.
- Add water and maintain at around 15C. (59F)
- It is optional to cover the pots with clear polythene or glass to reduce the likelihood that they will dry out, but keep in mind to remove the covering after the seeds have germinated.
- Once they have grown to around 3.5 cm (11/2 in), carefully transplant single seedlings into 9cm (3 in) pots if you have seeded them several to a pot.
- Use your thumb and finger to pinch out (remove) the top of the shoot just above a healthy leaf when the seedlings are 7.5–10cm (3–4in) tall. This will promote side branches, which are always stronger than the core stem that has been removed.
- At least four weeks before planting, remove all weeds from the soil and add a soil enhancer, such as garden compost, manure, or composted bark.
- Only plant seeds as the soil begins to warm, typically around April.
- To create a wigwam, plant any temporary supports, like pea sticks or bamboo canes, in the ground.
- Take out a shallow drill of dirt 2.5 cm (1 in) deep for rows of sweet peas, and plant a seed every 5 to 7.5 cm in it (2-3in)
- Seedlings should eventually be spaced 20–30 cm (8–1 ft) apart to provide the plants enough room to flourish. The extra seedlings may seem like a waste to compost, but unless treated carefully, their roots are typically too damaged to recover.
- Push two seeds into the ground at the base of each cane to a depth of 2.5 cm (1 in) when sowing around a wigwam of canes.