Sugar snaps make me hap-pea

Did you ever want to know the answer to this question? "What's the difference between Snow Peas, Garden Peas and Snap Peas?" Well I found this information tremendously helpful myself, so I'm sharing it here with you from The Produce Moms website.

Snow Peas, also known as Chinese pea pods, share common characteristics with Garden Peas and Snap Peas. However, there are differences between the three peas...

Snow Peas

• Mild flavor

• Small peas

• Flat pods

• Entire pod can be consumed

Garden Peas

• Sweet flavor

• Round pods

• Pods are not edible

Snap Peas

• Cross between snow and garden peas

• Sweet pea flavor

• Flat pods

• Whole pod is consumed

https://www.theproducemoms.com/

Sugar snap peas are amazingly easy to grow. They are very beautiful plants with dainty pansy-like flowers and variegated coloring in its foliage. So how do you know when you can eat your beautiful peas? You should begin to "harvest (your) snap-style green peas when pods start to fatten, but before peas get too large. If picked at the right time, the whole pod can be eaten. If pods are chewy and tough, they’ve been left on vines too long"..."Peas will produce as long as vines are healthy and temperatures stay cool. Mulching soil helps keep roots cool. Once the temperature reaches the 80s, pea season is over.The more you pick peas, the more peas you’ll have to pick."

"Green peas don’t need a trellis, but pods will be easier to pick when vines are held upright. If you’re using a trellis, insert it prior to planting"..."Peas attach by tendrils, tiny stems that curl and encircle supports. Tendrils quickly wrap around slender supports to hoist vines skyward."

https://bonnieplants.com/how-to-grow/growing-green-peas/

Sugar snap peas are so delicious. Eat them right out of the garden or in many different recipes. They are shown here (below) in an Asian Stir-fry. However, when preparing sugar snap peas, you need to know to peel the string from the flat edge (versus the curved edge) of the pod. If not, you may find yourself swallowing half the chewed pod with the other half still in your mouth connected by the pod fiber...not a good situation!

In addition to being crunchy, sweet, and gorgeously green, they are are also "a good source of vitamins and minerals, sugar snap peas can potentially boost immunity, control blood sugar, promote eye health, and aid in weight loss." Check out https://www.verywellfit.com/sugar-snap-peas-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits and http://www.whfoods.com to find out all the nutritional facts you ever wanted to know about earth's amazing gift to us...the Sugar Snap Pea.

Here are two recipes we prepare frequently in our house. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Be sure to post your own pictures of sugar snap pea dishes that you make.

Easy Peasy Snap Pea Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 cups snap peas

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cabbage, chopped

2 cup green onion, inch slices

1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tsp cornstarch

Optional (shown here): tossed with pansit noodles, or over rice is also fantastic.

Instructions

1. Sauce...combine broth, soy, and cornstarch in a small bowl.Whisk ingredients together; set aside.

2. Stir Fry...pour oil into large skillet or wok. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add broccoli, cabbage, and red bell peppers. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add snap peas and green onions and stir fry for another 3 minutes. Stir sauce and slowly pour over vegetables. Continue to stir fry until thickened and vegetables are coated.tweaked quite a bit from https://www.theproducemoms.com/2015/02/16/snow-pea-stir-fry/

Sesame Ginger Snap Peas

Ingredients

3 cups snap peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon shredded fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add in snap peas and soy sauce. Cook 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until snap peas are tender crisp. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds and sesame oil.https://www.spendwithpennies.com/sesame-ginger-snap-peas/

Happy healthy eating

and continued good growing!

#beginninggardeners #superfood #organicgardens #veggievirgins #veggiemagic #gardentherapy #sugarsnappeas #growingpeas