Christin, you might be thinking of this one, can be used like a snow pea when young.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Pod Capucijner

Thanks so much Annette. I did come across the Capucijner, but was kind of hoping for a true snow pea. If I can't find anything else that might be a good second choice though. Have you tried it? Do you like it?
CMK

Christin, I haven't grown or eaten it just seen it listed in catalogs, I think someone is working on developing purple snow peas but I don't know if they are for sale yet, maybe someone else can chime in with more information.

Annette

CMK, why not get a Blue Capucijner and try to cross it with a favorite snow pea yourself?

Also, Austrian Winter field peas have a purple pod that is fine to use as a snow pea when young. I've grown both those and the Blue Capucijner, and they are very, very similar. IIRC, the color doesn't hold up too well in the cooking process, though.

Really, I see very little difference in terms of culinary quality between those and regular snow peas like Oregon Grey Sugar if both are picked young. The blue peas tend to get tough faster than a true snow pea.

I do grown Oregon Sugar Pod II for culinary use, but just thought it would be neat if there was a purple pod kind.

If I happen to come across the Blue Capucijner at the store I might have to give it a try. Thanks to all for the help...
CMK

Blue Pod Capucijners is not very good used as a snow pea.

Yakumo is the largest snow pea I've found, it has beautiful purple/red blossoms but the peas are green.

For flavor, snowpeas vary as much as any other vegetable. Some are very sweet and others are relatively dry and flavorless. The dry flavorless peas tend to be good soup peas so consider how you will use them in deciding on a variety. I would suggest looking for good flavor as a primary consideration for any pea regardless of color.

DarJones

Christin, you should have mail shortly :).

Annette

I have been growing the Capucijners (I received them as Blauwschokkers through SSE) for years and using them as snow peas. My kids and I like them just fine, but they are little (the pea pods, I mean, the kids are getting bigger). Of course, the Golden Sweet yellow snow peas are also small, so packing them together in the kids' lunches doesn't look odd.

This spring is my first year trying purple pod sugar snaps. They are close to snow peas. I got them from Peace Seeds, but the first site I found today is Adaptive Seeds. Check them out there.

Catherine

Here is a link that might be useful: Adaptive Seeds

Are the Blue Capucijners the same as "Blue Podded" variety at SSE?

http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1346%28OG%29

Those look like they'd have about the same eating qualities as snow peas if harvested early when still flat. IIRC they turn green when cooked.

I've bought purple snow peas in Asian grocery stores before, the pics on the SSE site look the same as what I ate.

I'm growing Midnight Snow for the first time this year. I hope it looks like the picture!

I've heard there is a purple snow pea out there somewhere bred by Alan Kapuler probably available from either Peace Seeds or Adaptive Seeds.

I just saw a photo of some purple peas, but they weren't snow peas. They're Sugar Magnolia Snap Peas. Anyway, they were very pretty! They were featured as a harvest on a blog called High Desert Garden. I've added a link to the blog below:

Here is a link that might be useful: High Desert Garden

Beautiful photographs on that blog, Tempusflits.

I thought the combination of purple peas and pansies was breathtaking. I hadn't known there were purple peas before, snap or snow. Now, I've found something new to want. LOL.

Here is a link to the Purple Snow pea "Midnight Snow". I have several pea plants growing now, but i mixed several different ones together. I wont be able to tell what is what until they set their first set of pods. But, not only do i plan to save seeds of Midnight Snow, but i plan to breed it with a yellow-podded pea called Golden Sweet and hope i get a red-podded snow pea in the F2 and F3 generations. :) So Excited!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://purplepeas.net/

burpee used to carry a pea, 'Pretty" that fits your description. it was very pretty, both the flowers and the pods, but wasnt tasty enough to bother eating. is seems to be out of commerce, although someone is offering it in this years seed savers exchange annual, but to order it you have to belong to the seed savers exchange. they note is isnt really a tasty pea, and the pods are really to tough to count as a snow pea. maybe thats why burpee dropped it.
plenty of purple beans are fine tasting, but none of the purple peas seem worth eating.

Here is a link that might be useful: pretty pea description

I came across this new purple pod "mangtout" pea on a blog I read. It's called 'Shiraz' and put out by Thomson & Morgan. Not sure if it will be available here next year or later down the line, but I plan to be on the lookout for it.

Anyway, just thought I would share in case anyone here was interested too ;-)
CMK

Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Pod Pea 'Shiraz'

"I've heard there is a purple snow pea out there somewhere bred by Alan Kapuler probably available from either Peace Seeds or Adaptive Seeds."

It might be the "Sugar Magnolia" linked by Catherine. Alan also developed "Purple Pod Parsley", which is a purple-podded shelling pea. Not really usable as a snow pea, though. The seed I obtained was still unstable, producing some all-green and mottled pods in my F2 generation. I am in the process of selecting for an all-purple line... a process set back by the fact that I was unable to plant it this year. :-(

Provided that I can get my garden in next year, I plan on trying the purple-podded sugar snap. Thanks for the link, Catherine.

I know this question has already been adequately answered, but i just answered this on another forum, and felt like it could still be usefl here. Basically the info is this:

I only know of two places that have released a purple-podded snow pea, and only one place that has released a purple-podded snap pea. 1. Alan Kapuler, Oregon, Peace Seeds - "Sugar Magnolia" Purple Pod Snap. 2. Dan Quickert, California, "Midnight Snow" snow pea. 3. Thompson & Morgan, England, "Shiraz" Purple snow pea.

I was able to grow Midnight snow in 2011. I now have seeds for Sugar Magnolia, and will get Shiraz seeds soon. I hope to trail these in 2012. I also have seeds for Alan's yellow-podded snap "Opal Creek", and i look forward to trying to breed a red-podded snap pea.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32947