When to save peas for seed - the first pods or later on in the plants life ?

[TheMidnightGrower]

This is my first season growing peas and as I have heritage varieties I am trying to save seed from them.

Due to my uncertainty/anxiety I have allowed several of the very first pods to mature for seeds, fearing if I did not start early I might miss the opportunity completely. I also have little awareness of the lifespan of pea plants, other than they are annuals, so had no idea how late I could risk leaving it before the plant gave up and died.

Next year, should I allow some of the first pods on the plants to mature again (those near the bottom of the plant) or should I wait until later in the season and eat the lower ones but save some from the very top of the plant for developing into viable seeds?

I have had plenty of peas for eating, but not sure if the 'maturing pods' have an effect on the cropping span of the plants even if I am picking some of the other pods around them to eat?

[sparrow100]

I leave the best-looking plants to go to seed and grow them as early as possible rather than looking for pods at particular stages of the plant's life, if you see what I mean. The issue with now is that the pea moths have been very active and lots of the peas may have occupants.

I have a nice crop of purple sugarsnaps maturing away for seed and hopefully most of them will have been early enough to flower before the moths descended.