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Beans, Peas & Legumes

How do you tell if peas are ripe?

caryltoo Z7/SE PA

14 years ago

This is the first time I've ever grown peas. How do I tell when they're ready. I've opened a few pods and the peas seem about the right size, but they're very light green and still attached to the pod. Is this normal?

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Comments (7)

iam3killerbs
14 years ago
Yes, they stay attached to the pod until you remove them.

Open a pod, strip out a few peas and taste them.

Best is when they are grown, but not yet getting starchy.
ruthieg__tx
14 years ago
I think a good way to tell is as soon as they fill out the pod ....
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I bet a lot of us have mystery plants. I tried my best to keep everything labeled, but a few got by me. I overplanted anyway because I couldn't give enough away and certainly couldn't throw any away. I just found another GZ hiding in the back and it is quite soft and yellowish with the green stripes. Can't take credit for the picture, Mr. Google had it. Last year my plant didn't make it, so I finally got to taste one. I like them, do you? I think you are on target with the feel, but you will figure it out. I let them get soft at differing levels to see what I like best. Some of the blacks are difficult. I am watching and feeling a Paul Robeson now, because it its not a deep color but feels ripe. I touch and feel my tomatoes a lot......am I strange? ;) I have a yellow and a brown that I grew out from the market gourmet pack. I'll never know what the small yellow is, but it is the second year and it grows like heck. Tangy and prolific. Here a picture some of mine. Early girl or big boy, rosso bruno kumato, san marzano, brandywine, the mystery yellow, and sungold. The GZ is not there but they look just like the picture I linked previously. I also am growing striped german, a bicolor that I loved last year, and the paul robeson. I do have a better boy as well. Now that the heirlooms are coming the hybrid reds are getting frozen for sauce. They just don't compare. When I tasted my first brandywine the other day (last years plant didn't make it)I had a flashback of standing in my grandfather's garden with a shaker of salt and eating them right there warm from the sun. It was amazing. Enough now, I'll save the rest for my therapist. Enjoy, Karen
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dvdgzmn
14 years ago
Depends on what you mean by ready, so you'll have to learn by trial and error. Fully mature pods are round and hard, younger ones more oval shaped and give a little when squeezed. Also, the pods are slightly translucent, so you can judge the size of the seeds by stooping down and holding them to the light.
spaghetina
14 years ago
It also depends on what you want to do with them, in terms of how "ready" you want them. If I have fresh peas around, I eat them raw. I don't dare cook them or freeze them - I just can't even imagine that because they're SO good fresh out of the pods. That being the case, I don't like them when they've completely filled out the pod because that means the peas inside are at the stage just before they get starchy, strong tasting, and dry, however, if you're making a soup or something out of them, that's kind of perfect.

If you want them good for fresh eating, or even light cooking, pick them when the pods are fully fattened up, but before they're hard to the touch. The pod should give and almost feel like it's going to crack under the pressure of your fingers when you give it a squeeze without being able to be pressed so far in that the inside walls are almost touching - that would mean the peas aren't big enough yet.

To get a feel for what stage your peas suit your needs best, keep feeling them, and plucking the ones you think may be ready. You'll get a knack for picking out the best ones.
zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
14 years ago
The proper stage can be hard to detect visually, since the pods of different varieties have varying amounts of space surrounding the peas. Most pods become fairly cylindrical when the peas have reached full size. The best way to know when to pick them is, as 3killerbs mentioned, to open a pod or two every few days & taste them. As soon as they are large & sweet, pick them promptly, as the quality will deteriorate within days... especially in hot weather.
anney
14 years ago
After the first few times of determining when the peas are ready by taste, notice their size. I know when mine are ready when the sun shining through the pod reveals their size. It works for me since a very moist pod (sometimes happens after rain) can appear to have bigger peas than they actually are.
oilpainter
14 years ago
Peas are ready to eat when the pod looks full without being overly full--no space for anything more and bumpy. These ones are old peas and don't taste very good. And yes the sun shining through a pod shows yoiu how big they are.

Peas are sweet and tender when they are young, and hard and tasteless when they are old, so even if you get the odd one not quite full they will be tasty

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