When to Harvest Sugar Daddy Snap Peas
Sugar Daddy snap peas are an early-season, cool-weather vegetable best planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. By late spring or early summer, the tender peas are ready to eat, pod and all. The secret of enjoying Sugar Daddy snap peas is knowing exactly when to harvest the sweet, succulent legumes. Stagger planting of Sugar Daddy snap peas and harvest the peas for several weeks. Does this Spark an idea?
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About Sugar Daddy Snap Peas
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Sugar Daddy snap peas are edible, podded peas that grow on tall, sturdy vines that require a trellis for support. Although the peas can be shelled, removed from the pods and eaten like regular peas, Sugar Daddy snap peas are usually eaten pod and all. The peas are a favorite ingredient in soups or Asian stir fries; raw Sugar Daddy snap peas add crunch to cold salads.
When to Harvest
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Harvest Sugar Daddy snap peas when the peas inside the pod are beginning to plump and the pod is nearly filled and just short of being fully mature. At this point, the pod is thick and crunchy and the peas inside are sweet. Sugar Daddy snap peas reach maturity about 65 to 70 days after planting. Continue to harvest the peas every other day for several days, or until the plant no longer produces.
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How to Harvest
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To harvest Sugar Daddy snap peas, remove the peas carefully from the vine. Hold the vine with one hand and remove the pods with the other hand to avoid damage to the brittle pea vine. Alternatively, snip the pea from the vine with a pair of kitchen shears. Drop the peas into a picnic cooler to keep the peas fresh and crisp.
After Harvest
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Store Sugar Daddy snap peas in your refrigerator and use the peas within a few days, as they will lose their flavor rapidly. If you want to freeze your snap peas, process them as soon as possible. To freeze Sugar Daddy snap peas with or without the pod, wash the peas, then blanch them in boiling water for two minutes. Plunge the peas immediately into ice water for two minutes, then freeze the peas in zip-close bags or plastic freezer containers.
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References
- Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peas and Snap Beans in the Home Garden
- Capital District Community Gardens; Growing and Caring for Peas
- West Virginia University Extension; Sugar Snap Peas; Sheila Rye, et al; 1999
- University of Minnesota Extension; Growing Peas in Minnesota Home Gardens; Cindy Tong, et al; February, 2009
- Tufts University; World Peas Co-Op; Vanessa Bitterman; May, 2007
- Photo Credit Fresh green sugar snap peas in the pod. image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
