I've grown a few peas from time to time and enjoyed them fresh through the season. This year, I really want to try to grow enough to can for use through the rest of the year. Anyone do this? I need some advice since I'm a newbie at it. There are just 2 of us so we won't needs hundreds of pints, but I'd like to put up maybe 25 or 30. I like to harvest them when they're still fairly small and tender, and would love to get an idea of a good variety and quantity. It'll be about a month before we can get them in the ground here, so I've still some time to get 'em ordered and ready.
Peas for canning
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digitS'
Garden Master
I will push this back to the top, Mickey. It won't be because I know anything about canning peas but I'm hoping that others have had good success with the canning process and will share what varieties have worked well for that.
Shell peas are not the most productive crop for as much room & trellis building effort that they require. Still, they are very nutritious and tasty, too!
I tried a number of varieties trying to come up with the "best" and finally settled on the very-popular, Green Arrow. Since I usually want to sow peas several times and have the hot weather in July slam down on the late planting, I tried Wando because it is supposed to take the heat better than most. I didn't notice anything special about them. One that isn't very special at all is Alaska but that is because I've grown it, at times, nearly as a field crop - sown with oats and for livestock. I will say this, Alaska must be the earliest variety that you can get in the ground and from which to expect a harvest. But, I was always hoping for more actual peas. Green Arrow has done very well for me.
Now, I'll stop and this thread will be at the top
.
Steve
Shell peas are not the most productive crop for as much room & trellis building effort that they require. Still, they are very nutritious and tasty, too!
I tried a number of varieties trying to come up with the "best" and finally settled on the very-popular, Green Arrow. Since I usually want to sow peas several times and have the hot weather in July slam down on the late planting, I tried Wando because it is supposed to take the heat better than most. I didn't notice anything special about them. One that isn't very special at all is Alaska but that is because I've grown it, at times, nearly as a field crop - sown with oats and for livestock. I will say this, Alaska must be the earliest variety that you can get in the ground and from which to expect a harvest. But, I was always hoping for more actual peas. Green Arrow has done very well for me.
Now, I'll stop and this thread will be at the top
.Steve
897tgigvib
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Other opinion about Alaska Peas here Not to disagree too strongly with my friend Digit,
but I found that Alaska is a really good variety. Not only are her Peas super delicious raw, they are nice and tender barely boiled. Add to that, those round smooth seeds are perfect for dry soup peas. I find that Alaska Peas tie for earliest and quickest seed to seed with Golden Sweet. Being that fast gives a couple bonuses. One, they are done being harvested before that small amount of powdery mildew can do any damage. Two, they can be planted before the last of those light frosts and be harvested and done well in time to plant something else, a fast summer thing like Zucchini, or a fall crop like Winter Radish or Turnip, or what have you. Alaska is the shorter kind of Pea plant. Any small trellis support works.
I don't know anything about canning though.
So I looked it up!
http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/2011/05/canning-green-peas.html
Not to disagree too strongly with my friend Digit,but I found that Alaska is a really good variety. Not only are her Peas super delicious raw, they are nice and tender barely boiled. Add to that, those round smooth seeds are perfect for dry soup peas. I find that Alaska Peas tie for earliest and quickest seed to seed with Golden Sweet. Being that fast gives a couple bonuses. One, they are done being harvested before that small amount of powdery mildew can do any damage. Two, they can be planted before the last of those light frosts and be harvested and done well in time to plant something else, a fast summer thing like Zucchini, or a fall crop like Winter Radish or Turnip, or what have you. Alaska is the shorter kind of Pea plant. Any small trellis support works.
I don't know anything about canning though.
So I looked it up!
http://canninggranny.blogspot.com/2011/05/canning-green-peas.html
Ridgerunner
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Id get mine in the ground today if the ground was dry enough. Not even close.
Im nervous about giving recommendations on variety of pea because all gardening is so local. What works for me may not work really well for you in your climate. I grow Little Marvel. Im pretty happy with the production and they prove Digits wrong!!! Just teasing Steve. With their growth habit, Little Marvels dont need to be trellised. Thats why I tried them in the first place. I get good productivity most years and save that work in trellising.
I generally get two good pickings off of them, maybe 4 to 5 days apart? Not sure exactly on that but less than a week.
I tried canning them once. Never again. You have to process them so long they get really mushy. I strongly recommend freezing instead of canning. I think youll be a lot happier with the results if that is an option for you.
Something else I do with peas. Some mature after my two good pickings. I let them go a bit and when I clean the vines out of the garden I pick those. Some are pretty dried out but some are still pretty green. I freeze those and use them when I make soup. I boil my soup a few minutes before I can it so the dried ones swell up before they go in the jar so that does not cause a problem. And most of my soup is processed for 85 minutes for quarts. Even the really dried ones are pretty much cooked to mush by then but I think they add something good to soup.
Im nervous about giving recommendations on variety of pea because all gardening is so local. What works for me may not work really well for you in your climate. I grow Little Marvel. Im pretty happy with the production and they prove Digits wrong!!! Just teasing Steve. With their growth habit, Little Marvels dont need to be trellised. Thats why I tried them in the first place. I get good productivity most years and save that work in trellising.
I generally get two good pickings off of them, maybe 4 to 5 days apart? Not sure exactly on that but less than a week.
I tried canning them once. Never again. You have to process them so long they get really mushy. I strongly recommend freezing instead of canning. I think youll be a lot happier with the results if that is an option for you.
Something else I do with peas. Some mature after my two good pickings. I let them go a bit and when I clean the vines out of the garden I pick those. Some are pretty dried out but some are still pretty green. I freeze those and use them when I make soup. I boil my soup a few minutes before I can it so the dried ones swell up before they go in the jar so that does not cause a problem. And most of my soup is processed for 85 minutes for quarts. Even the really dried ones are pretty much cooked to mush by then but I think they add something good to soup.
lesa
Garden Master
Peas are one of my favorite veggies. I love them, and they are so early- ready to harvest before the rest of the garden has barely come out of hibernation! I have never had enough to can or freeze. It took me a couple seasons to figure out how many to plant- just to have enough to actually cook. They are so wonderful to nibble, when you are out surveying the garden! Since peas are a low acid food the only way you could can them, is with a pressure canner. I think Ridgerunner's advice for freezing is correct. Won't be long now, as soon as I can work the soil- I will get those peas planted!
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Thanks for the input, guys. I was sorta wondering about them getting mushy...pints here can for 75 mins...and even the pithier veggies like carrots get quite overcooked. Dave is fine with frozen veggies, but personally I can't stand 'em...not to eat just as veggies...the texture seems to change and I just don't care for it It's fine for making soup and such but to just eat as a side...um...no thank'ee.
Maybe what I'll do is just put in the pack of seeds I have, don't recall the variety at the moment, and try canning just a few to see how they turn out. We can surely eat the rest either raw or fresh cooked through the season. It may turn out that peas are just something we'll have to continue to buy.
We've scrounged plenty of stuff to make easy-up trellises for both peas and pole beans. With the peas, my main concern was having enough space since they don't produce as heavily as beans. So after y'all's reality check, I think maybe we'll just try a few as an experiment to see if we want to step it up next year. Thanks!!
It's fine for making soup and such but to just eat as a side...um...no thank'ee. Maybe what I'll do is just put in the pack of seeds I have, don't recall the variety at the moment, and try canning just a few to see how they turn out. We can surely eat the rest either raw or fresh cooked through the season. It may turn out that peas are just something we'll have to continue to buy.
We've scrounged plenty of stuff to make easy-up trellises for both peas and pole beans. With the peas, my main concern was having enough space since they don't produce as heavily as beans. So after y'all's reality check, I think maybe we'll just try a few as an experiment to see if we want to step it up next year. Thanks!!
digitS'
Garden Master
Back to those Little Marvels!!
No . . . but about frozen peas 
: I consider garden peas as very valuable. Yes, I'm not going to allow many to go to the earthworms and soil microbes. I'll shell them and in the freezer they'll go!
What I'm mostly using peas for ~ & some will show up as soup ~ is a rice casserole. Everything that goes in has already been cooked, except the cheese. I don't suppose that I'd care too much for them if I picked them out individually but I'm not sure. The peas probably absorb the flavors of the salmon or shrimp and the rest of the garden veggies.
But, think of creamed peas and new potatoes this July . . . you can't taste those peas too much like that, either.
Steve
planning today's meal
No .
. . but about frozen peas : I consider garden peas as very valuable. Yes, I'm not going to allow many to go to the earthworms and soil microbes. I'll shell them and in the freezer they'll go!What I'm mostly using peas for ~ & some will show up as soup ~ is a rice casserole. Everything that goes in has already been cooked, except the cheese. I don't suppose that I'd care too much for them if I picked them out individually but I'm not sure. The peas probably absorb the flavors of the salmon or shrimp and the rest of the garden veggies.
But, think of creamed peas and new potatoes this July . . . you can't taste those peas too much like that, either
.Steve
planning today's meal
Ridgerunner
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Pretty much the same here. A rice and chicken casserole called Carolina Casserole. Fairly quick and easy in the microwave for those days when time is a bit short.digitS' said:
I don't grow the rice but my homegrown and frozen peas are a main ingredient. The chicken is already cooked and highly flavored as I pick it off the bones when I make broth from chickens I raised. My broth is heavily flavored with herbs from the garden. Naturally the liquid in this is homemade chicken broth.
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Now see...that's why I luv y'all! I hadn't been thinking of casseroles...only soups. I love a good casserole and do use frozen veggies in some of 'em. Y'all are brilliant! I just may "go for it" after all and freeze 'em
Jared77
Garden Addicted
Do you have a food saver? I'm wondering if it would make a difference in texture to get them cold enough so they don't collapse during the process then frozen? Or they may be something you enjoy part of the year as a fresh side dish and the rest of the time in something as others have pointed out.
