This is surely the sensible way to grow and eat peas - no time consuming podding, no waste, just heavy crops of delicious, sweet and juicy pods of sugar-peas, often called 'Mangetout' or 'Snow peas'. Well flavoured and excellent for lightly steaming or stir-fries,. The pods are large and flat (4½ inches long by ¾ inch wide) and stringless when young. This is the way peas will be eaten in the future. It just doesn't make sense to go through the tediousness of discarding the pod if its so full of goodness and so delicious to taste.

Sow from early March once the soil has started to warm up and is easily worked. Sowings can be made every 10 days or so until June for succession. Peas prefer a deep rich, well manured soil. Make flat bottomed drills 5cm (2 inches) deep, 15-20cm (6-8 inches) wide, place 2 rows of seeds 5-8cm (2-3 inches) apart both ways and replace the soil. Allow 90cm (36 inches) between each drill.

Keep the rows weeded and once the plants are 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) tall twiggy sticks for support can be provided although this is not essential. Watering when the plants are in flower will improve cropping.

Start picking the pods just as the peas inside start to form, early and regular picking will also improve the cropping and flavour of the peas.

Suitable For Freezing