Sugar Snap Peas Summer

The sugar snap peas were planted, they grew, we cheered, we picked them off the plant and they went straight into our mouths.    Sugar snap peas, how are you so delicious?  You’re crunchy.  You’re slightly sweet.  You can be eaten as a snack.  You can be eaten for dinner.  You can eaten in bed (why not).  Sugar snap peas, you’re so perfect.  Every single one of you.

Here’s some details from our Sugar Snap Peas:
Our peas usually grow pretty well, they are one of those plants that produce a good bit of harvest.  We never had much trouble with them (minus Hurricane Sandy but that totally wasn’t the Sugar Snaps fault!).
These are the seeds we use. 
We grow them twice a year, once in the summer, and they will be planted again for a Fall harvest very soon.
They were planted on March 14th to be exact and they lasted until the end of June.
We grow them in a 4×4 box of soil, mixed in with compost soil and manure.  
Presprout your beans for them to come up quicker.
They grow tall, ours easily grow 10 feet tall.  A tall fence = tall peas! Give them support.
Why doesn’t someone invent neon pink Sugar Snaps? They would be easier to spot, but it wouldn’t be half as fun. 🙂
When the pea harvest hits, a basket is needed everyday.  It’s not uncommon to pick multiple cups in a day.

Pea plants tend to produce for about 4-5 weeks straight. 
1 pound of Sugar Snap peas equal about 4 cups strung peas. 
They store well in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags (we keep them open a little bit).  They easily store for a few weeks. 
Pick them before the peas get too big, this will cause them to become hard and will taste starchy. Plus the quicker you pick them, the more the plant will try to grow more.
If you cook them, barely cook them.  A minute in a hot pan is all you need. If you cook them too long they will lose their sweetness and that will be a bummer.
Eat raw.  Eat in pasta.  Add to stews and soups.  Saute in stir frys (for about a minute).  Add to omelets.  Add to salads.  Mix with rice.  
95 percent of all the peas grown in the United States are frozen or canned.  Grow your own and change the cycle!  You won’t regret it as soon as you taste a fresh Sugar  Snap.

That was alot of pea talk wasn’t it?

Now let’s look at the memories..

Look at you, you small little babies.

And then we had to thin you but I made Dad do it because you know how emotional Mom gets.

You started to climb..

And then your flowers came.. you were about to grow peas!

And you did!

Suddenly there were peas all over!

Then it was time to harvest.  One by one we cut you..(we prefer cutting over hand picking as sometimes if you aren’t holding the plant with the other hand you can do damage to the plant by pulling too strong). 

Dad (who is slightly over 6 feet) had to stand on a crate to get to you.  You were so tall!

We started picking a few in the beginning..

Then enough that I couldn’t hold you all in my  hands!

And then the basket was needed! 

There were pounds of you to pick!

Sugar snaps, you guys are good people.  Don’t forget that. 
Love,
Your Mama

Matthew makes a delicious buttered noodle pasta dish with sugar snap peas!  Would anyone be interested in me making a recipe post about it?