How to Prepare and Cook Fresh Peas From the Garden in Pods

Peas please!

Snow peas and sugar snap peas are among the two of the most popular peas with gardeners. They are easy to grow, and unlike some other types of peas, these produce sweet peas and tender pea pods. You can harvest the tender young peas and eat the entire pod on the spot, or you can save the peas in their pods to cook later in the day. Garden peas are a cool-weather crop. They are one of the first crops a home gardener plants each season. Once ripe, peas have about a three-week harvest season before the peas become overmature, hard and starchy. A simple way to cook these tasty treats is to steam them in the microwave.

Things You'll Need

• Microwave-safe glass pie plate
• Plastic wrap
• 2 cups pea pods
• 3 tbsp. of water
• Knife
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Harvest the fresh peas in their pods early in the morning before the sun gets hot. According to the Vegetable Gardening Online website, harvest the peas "when the plants are very young, just as the peas begin to form." Peas in their pods can be eaten raw right away.

2. Rinse peas after gathering. Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for use later in the day.

3. Cut of the ends of each pea pod with a knife.

4. Place the pods in the pie plate, add the water and cover the plate with plastic wrap.

5. Cook on full power for 1 or 2 minutes.

6. Remove the plastic wrap and let the peas rest for 1 minute. You can salt and pepper them to taste. They are now ready to serve.

References

• Edible Landscaping: Edible of the Month: Peas
• Ohio State University: Growing Peas and Snap Beans in the Home Garden
• Universityof Illinois Extension: Peas
• Vegetable Gardening Online: Growing Snow Peas, Planting Snow Peas, When and How to Plant Snow Peas
• Spark Recipes: Steamed Pea Pods
• What's Cooking America: Snow Pea, Chinese Pea Pod, Sugar Pea