Snap Peas

About

A sweet pea that is a cross between a snow pea and an English pea. It is entirely edible (pod included) and available year-round. Best eaten raw, but may be cooked briefly in order to retain their crispness.

Information

Other names: Sugar Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Mangetout

Translations: Snap Μπιζέλια, Žirneliai, المفاجئة البازلاء, Snap Hrach, Снап Грашак, Snap Mazăre, Snap Grašak, Brechbohnen, Snap Hrách, Snap Piselli, Горох, Snaps, 스냅인 피스, スナップエンドウ豆, तस्वीर मटर, Горох, 豌豆, Snap Grah, Snap Ærter, Hyppykytkin Herneet, Снап Грах

Physical Description

Snap peas like all other peas are pod fruits. An edible-podded pea is similar to a garden, or English, pea, but the pod is less fibrous, and edible when young. Pods of the edible-podded pea, including snap peas, do not have a membrane and do not open when ripe. At maturity, the pods grow to around 4-8 cm in length, Pods contain three to five peas per pod.

Colors: bright green

Tasting Notes

Flavors: sweet

Mouthfeel: Sharp and crunchy

Food complements: Beef, Chicken, Tofu, Olive oil, Sesame oil, Garlic, Water chestnuts, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Rice, Beets

Wine complements: White wine, Red wine

Substitutes: Snow peas, Edamame, Green beans

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: april, may, june

Peak: june

Choosing: Look for fresh firm peas with no obvious blemishes or browning. The peas should be green and bright with no wrinkling on the skin.

Buying: The best sugar snap peas can be purchased in spring and fall, but many grocery stores carry them all year. The sweet and crispy peas are entirely edible -- pod and all -- and they are a good source of vitamin C and iron. Choose plump, crisp pods with a bright green color.

Procuring: Fresh snap peas are both amazingly healthy and taste much better when grown in your own garden. The snap peas are different from regular peas in that their pods, along with the peas, can be eaten, similar with the snow and sugar peas. Peas grow best during cold weather, moist growing conditions. Any temperature above 30 degrees Celsius will not be very good to the pod set since the pollen in the flower will die at that high temperature and there will be much lower yields. Temperatures of about 7 to 24 degrees Celsius would be the best for the snap peas. Peas like sunny locations so make sure they get some sun most of the day.
When you see that the pods are filling out you can harvest the sugar snap peas. This will happen about eight to ten days after pollination. A good way to harvest the peas is to break them from the stem, being careful not to injure the plant they come from. This variety can be harvested in two to five picks in total and the pod will still be tender even if the pod is fully developed and like normal garden peas in appearance. Snow snap peas are much different though. The pods must be completely flat without any development of the seeds for the best result. At this stage the snow peas contain no cross-fibers and the entire pod can be eaten. If you let the snow snap peas develop past this size the peas have to be extracted and the pods discarded. Only pick the large flat peas and let the other once mature for a longer time. Harvesting should be done every two or three days for the best results.

Preparation and Use

In the raw, with a dip of 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup crumbled feta, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns.

2. In succotash, sauteed with freshly cut corn kernels (scrape the milk from the cob to make it creamy), scallions, and cherry tomatoes.

3. Blanched and tossed with buttered egg noodles, parsley, and garlic.

4. Roasted with olive oil and sea salt beneath the broiler until crisp-tender and lightly browned on the edges; drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame oil before serving.

5. Tossed warm with fresh pesto and toasted pine nuts.

Cleaning: Snap peas are peas with fully edible pods. They are typically grown in the early spring, often maturing very quickly so that they become one of the first vegetables harvested. There are a number of ways to eat snap peas, with one popular method being the easiest: simply rinsing the peas and eating them whole as snacks. Many grocers carry snap peas in season, and they are also easy to grow at home.

Conserving and Storing

Fresh snap peas are both amazingly healthy and taste much better when grown in your own garden. The snap peas are different from regular peas in that their pods, along with the peas, can be eaten, similar with the snow and sugar peas. Peas grow best during cold weather, moist growing conditions. Any temperature above 30 degrees Celsius will not be very good to the pod set since the pollen in the flower will die at that high temperature and there will be much lower yields. Temperatures of about 7 to 24 degrees Celsius would be the best for the snap peas. Peas like sunny locations so make sure they get some sun most of the day.

Social/Political

You may hear snap peas referred to as sugarsnap peas or mange-touts, a French term meaning “eat-all,” in a reference to the idea that consumers can eat the whole pea. If snap peas are left on the vine too long, they can become a bit woody and oversized, so most people try to harvest early.

History: There are several cultivars of snap peas, including 'Sugar Rae', 'Sugar Bon', 'Sugar Ann', and 'Sugar Snap'. The plants are climbing, and pea sticks or a trellis or other support system is required for optimal growth. Some cultivars are capable of climbing to 2 m high but are more commonly around 1-1.3 m for ease of harvest. Sugarsnap peas were developed by crossing Chinese snow peas with a mutant shell pea plant, which was done by Drs. Lamborn and Park of Twin Falls, Idaho.