When do I take the pea?

[HeyWayne]

I've three HSL peas growing at the moment - Stephens, Victorian Purple Podded and Poppet.

The Victorian Purple are shown on the gardenorganic website and it says you can pick and eat the pods whole, or shell the peas, but I can't find anything on the other two.

If you type in HSL Stephens Peas into Google the first two listings are mine - that's no help!

[Flummery]

If it says use them whole, eat them as mangetout, before they swell. It's often suggested that you do that with purple ones (because, to be frank, the fresh peas aren't that nice). If it doesn't say that, I'd leave them and shell them.

[Brengirl]

I suppose when you can't wait any longer.

[Sanjo]

If it says use them whole, eat them as mangetout, before they swell. It's often suggested that you do that with purple ones (because, to be frank, the fresh peas aren't that nice). If it doesn't say that, I'd leave them and shell them.

I have to agree with Flummery on the taste. So far I have only had a couple of freshly picked purple pods but the taste is disappointing. Might be better perhaps when they are cooked - should I ever get enough of them ready at the same time for the pot!!

[gojiberry]

Its easy enough to do a test to see if they are any good as an edible pod just do a snap test. Take a pod and try to snap it in two, if it snops in two with a nice clean brake then you should be able to use it as mange tout. You can also try eating one raw, if it is fiberous then it probably wont improve with cooking.

Ian