Peas

[JohnN]

My first year growing peas and I've got a good harvest, with more than we need to eat. But should I pick the surplus and freeze or leave them on the vine? How long do they stay eatable when mature?
Thanks, John N

[FelixLeiter]

Peas very quickly lose their sweetness if left to get over-mature. Commercial pea growers and processors are very particular about getting their peas harvested and processed at exactly the right moment to maximise their flavour and sweetness. But they also grow varieties selected for their pods to develop all at the same time for machine harvesting. Most back-garden pea varieties (Hurst Green Shaft and their like) produce pods which mature over a couple of weeks. So pick through your vines regularly and pick the pods as soon as the peas have filled out. Pods which have a rough external texture tend to be a bit over-mature for eating fresh. You might want to let remaining pods run their course to fully mature and dry for storing for mushy peas.

[farmer jon]

I would be inclined to pick the lot & freeze as soon as possible. over mature peas that are frozen take a long time to cook & end up like bullets whereas ripe or slightly under will freeze well. I always add sugar when cooking to sweeten them a little. in very hot weather peas left on the vine will soon go over & start to yellow, also if heavy rain comes then mildew can also be a problem.

[Johnboy]

In many ways I agree with Farmer Jon because I always have a mass picking and freeze the entire crop. Anything that is over the top or not yet pickable is generally left on the vine to totally ripen which gives me plenty of seed for next year. I find that some of the very small peas with just a couple of seeds in the pod give maybe the best seeds so these are best left on the vine.
Here we a having a very fine crop this year and just as well because the Beans of all kinds are the worst ever in all my gardening years.
JB.