Kitchen Garden Forum

This may sound a silly question are marrowfat peas a special type or can anyone grow them?. The question came up at Sunday's dinner I had opened a tin of Batchelors Bigga Peas and my daughter said oh my favourite peas and I wondered if I could grow them, she thought it was something that was in the processing and not in the growing.
Don't say I shouln't open tins, but the freezer is running low and as I try to have 3 different vegetables on her plate when she comes.
Bren

Hi Bren

Marrowfat is a "commercial" description of large seeded field peas, rather than a variety.
See HERE for some interesting information.

Aaah! Tinned peas! Takes me back to the 1940's Never hope to taste them again

Hi Alan,
A couple of good Welsh faggots,a tin of Farrows marrowfat peas,Oxo cubes all chucked together in the same saucepan and cooked through,our National dish;good enough for peasant or king

Hi Snooky

That recipe almost put me off my breakfast when I read it this morning
Ych a fi

Hi Alan,
Was breakfast a fried egg sandwich? Bit of a debate on the pros and cons of fried egg sandwiches on the Roy Noble Show this afternoon on B.B.C. Radio Wales

Ello Bren. If you want to grow Marrowfat peas, buy a packet of dried peas (the sort you soak to make mushy peas) and sow them as you would normally. We have grown them for the past two years and I promise you, they are really good!! When my husband told me he was going to grow Batchelors mushy peas, I thought he was winding me up (yet again) so I stood over him while he sowed them...even made a wooden label marked "Batchelors Mushy". Sure enough they were an extremely prolific crop and taste wonderful. They need cooking a little longer than garden peas but mmmm yum! I had to eat my words of mockery along with the peas. Small price to pay! Cheers Elaine.

Elaine wrote:Ello Bren. If you want to grow Marrowfat peas, buy a packet of dried peas (the sort you soak to make mushy peas)

Hi Elaine, that's good to know. I've only got into growing peas in the last couple of years and i also quite like the marrofat/mushy variety.

I'm sorry to hear that Alain has bad childhood memories of them. I'm the opposite way round (never really liked any sort of peas as a kid and now quite like them all - mushy or otherwise!).

Thanks Alan and Elaine, dried peas will be on my shopping list the weekend so will try them, daughter will be happy.
Bren

I have a good nieghbour, who, being from cardiff makes faggots the Welsh way. very good they are too. (I also like the west country faggots aswelll. must be a connection with the celtic nations there somewhere (isn't it, also, aswell) , A mate at work (from cardiff) hates them, funny fellow. the best pea for mushy peas I have found so far is the onward varieties and I love them with or without the faggots and gravy. in fact about to sit down now to geuss what? fish and chips, no only kidding my OH is doing faggots and mushies with mashed spuds. brilliant it is isn't it. good luck to all this new growing season and if anyone knows of a better marrowfat pea to grow please let us know. cheers now.

Marrowfat peas are the smooth round type (not wrinkled skins).

It may be of interest that in Cambridge in the 1930's they had a "Pea Soup" stall on Market Hill. The peas were cooked in coppers until they broke down into a mush. Beautiful with salt and vinegar and only 2d a basinful (less than 1p). You could also park (Dad had a Motorcycle and Sidecar) in Market Street for free and as long as you liked. Shops were open until 9.00pm. Dad had a standing order with the butcher for a paper carrier bag full of bacon scraps, one day the bag was short so the butcher grabbed a long Pork Pie (with eggs), cut it in half and put it in the bag. Price 2s 6d (12.5p) for about 7lbs (3KG).

Bren

Any news on how the Marrowfat crop turned out?

Alan
Not very good I picked the first lot today and was disapppointed about 2lbs in weight plenty of pods but very small, I am leaving them till Saturday or Sunday when my daughter will come and shell them for me, one of the jobs I dislike, if its dry we may pick some more.
Bren