Do you know how to prepare home-grown peas?

Question

I grew peas and beans in my garden for the first time. I'm not exactly sure the best way to eat the peas. They are just regular-size green peas. I heated some of them in hot water and ate a couple--they tasted too "green" and they fell apart in layers. yuk!! Do you know what I should do to make them better? (Yes, I removed them from the pods!)
I usually buy canned or frozen peas from the grocery store and I like them, so it seemed logical for me to grow some to eat.
:-)

Answer 1

Fresh peas dont taste anything like canned peas and somewhat like frozen. Too achieve the frozen taste you need firstly a pot of boiling salted water. Add the podded peas to the boiling salted water, count to 60 then remove them from the water and refresh them under cold running water. This takes about another 60 seconds. Basically till the peas are cold. This stops them cooking any further. Then drain and bag in freezer bags and freeze.
Then just treat them like frozen peas; drop them in boiling salted water, wait till water boils again leave boiling for a minute then drain and serve. Thats as close as you will get to pre fab peas !! Same goes for the beans.

Alternatively you could just pop them fresh outa the pod in to your mouth, think of them as green M & M's :)

I like raw peas straight out of the pod, and they are better for you that way too...dont lose any vitamins or minerals when they are raw.

p.s. Why the people below me think that something less than a cubic centimetre in size needs 15-30 mins cooking time is beyond me.

Answer 2

Fresh peas are so good, I had some earlier this summer that I grew.
Just put them in a pan, cover them with water and cook them.
If yours fell apart, you probably boiled them too much. They just need a light simmer or lower for about 15 or 20 minutes.
The ones you buy canned are already cooked and the frozen ones have been partially cooked so they don't take as long when you heat them up to eat.

Answer 3

Fresh garden peas are wonderful. I grow them every year.
To cook .....bring your water to a boil....then drop in peas. I cook mine about 30 minutes.....otherwise they are still a bit on the raw side.Flavor with creamery butter and a bit of sea salt.
I also cream my fresh peas.
To cream them make a basic white sauce with butter, flour and milk......I use creamery butter...never use margarine.....thicken cream sauce and add to peas.....
Ummmmmmm so good!!

Answer 4

Boil in a bit of salted water. It sounds like you didn't cook them quite long enough (maybe 10 minutes so they won't taste "green". ) Drain, add a bit of butter. YUM!!