General information and discussion about cultivating beans, peas, peanuts, clover and vetch.
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February 9, 2012 | #31 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,969
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My pea strategy is plain and simple after trying many varieties.
Super Sugar Snap 2 1/2" spacing double rows 4" apart 5 foot netting/trellis scissors and basket |
February 9, 2012 | #32 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MO z6a near St. Louis
Posts: 1,349
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Quote:
+5 to the above. Protection from rabbits (and perhaps deer) is your no. 1 prerequisite for a good harvest. Chicken wire with the bottom edge pinned down here and there, as above. Try to skimp here and the rabbits will be doing this: [Edit: Ah, yes, as Kath mentions. Might want to use a chicken wire "tunnel" to protect the newly sprouted peas from birds. There have been years (when I haven't used overprotection) when I've lost 25% to the birds. One day you have nice little cotyledons showing, the next--a hole in the ground.] I plant mostly Sugar Snap (or Super Sugar Snap; Sugar Snap actually does a little better for me) and some Sugar Ann for earlier harvest. I only plant a few feet of shelling peas (Casselode), which I shell and eat right there on the spot in the garden. It would take a huge amount of space devoted to shelling peas to harvest enough to freeze, in my opinion. I do freeze sugar snap types. I use more or less the same planting scheme as Tormato. I do a mix of direct seeding and starting indoors in cell packs. Starting indoors in cell packs allows me to get an earlier start and/or insurance against a late hard freeze.
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February 9, 2012 | #33 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: zone 6b, PA
Posts: 5,664
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Do you favor any of these three over the others for freezing, or do you find them pretty much the same? I may try freezing some this year to see if DH enjoys them for winter eating. Kath |
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February 9, 2012 | #34 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Zone 9 Texas, Fort Bend County
Posts: 436
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I can't to read the answer for this one. I'm getting a bumper crop of Golden Sweet and Oregon Sugar Pod and love to freeze some this year. What is the trick to blanching and freezing without having them turn to mush when I thaw them? Has anyone had success with freezing Snow Peas and keeping them intact?
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February 9, 2012 | #35 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM - Zone 7a
Posts: 209
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Quote:
I recall reading somewhere-- an old back issue of OG?-- quite a few years ago, somebody was talking about freezing strawberries. My mom used to freeze our surplus strawberries in pint or quart freezer containers, filled almost to the top with water, so the water froze all around the berries. When thawed out, they were barely recognizable as former berries. Just a soggy mess of mush that still tasted like strawberries, but... yech! I just hated that texture. So about 20 years after that, I read in OG or wherever, somebody recommended for strawberries, just lay them out loose on a cookie sheet, like you might lay out french fries for the oven, put the cookie sheet in the freezer, pack loosely in your airtight containers after they're frozen. No more strawberry mush, according to the writer. Does this actually work for strawberries? Would it work for snow peas, snap peas, etc.? I have absolutely no idea. Never had enough space in my freezer compartment to test it, let alone a full-size freezer. Still couldn't test it, really. I definitely think the method is worth a test run by whomever is willing to try it out (and, hopefully, report back to us.) I'd still blanch the peas or whatever first. Live enzymes and long-term food storage don't apparently get along very well. |
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February 9, 2012 | #36 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 133
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Years ago (many, many, many) I froze strawberries that way, flat on a cookie sheet and then into containers and it does work. O.K., it is not like they are the same as fresh when thawed, but far better than anything else I had ever tried.
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February 9, 2012 | #37 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: north central B.C.
Posts: 2,310
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I freeze strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc individually as above. They are usually used in some manner (cooked or blended) so that the loss of texture is not noticeable, and one gets the flavour and nutrients of summer. I have been freezing snap peas for years (Sugar Snap or Super Sugar Snap, usually) and even though the texture is not wonderful, it is not bad and sure beats store bought or none at all. Just wash, remove top and bottom 'strings' with stem, slice or leave whole as desired, blanch, dry and freeze. Since I freeze in meal size portions, don't bother to freeze individually although I don't see that it would make much difference. Same procedure for beans, I think they freeze even better than the peas. Usually I blanch with steam rather than boiling water, then quench, as I think it lessens the nutrient loss.
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February 9, 2012 | #38 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 133
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Same here and I quench in ICE COLD water. I think it is important to maintain both texture and nutrients.
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February 9, 2012 | #39 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Poland
Posts: 251
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Quote:
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February 9, 2012 | #40 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM - Zone 7a
Posts: 209
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Interesting idea. Come springtime, I'll have to keep an eye out for alfalfa. It's gone wild and weedy in certain parts of the city.
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February 9, 2012 | #41 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: north central B.C.
Posts: 2,310
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Back in September when I was cleaning up the garden, I remarked to my husband "wish I could harvest some of these nitrogen fixing nodules" - as some of the bean roots were absolutely loaded. Wonder if they would survive winter dried and/or frozen and/or ??? Any guesses?
I wonder if it just means that my soil already has sufficient of those organisms (I don't inoculate) and don't really need to bother doing anything at all. |
February 9, 2012 | #42 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5
Posts: 931
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I've read to just leave the roots in the soil for the winter to keep them going. I just cut them off at ground level and bring them in to dry. Cleaner and tidier.
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February 10, 2012 | #43 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Slovenia, EU
Posts: 249
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First, let me start by saying I HATED peas up to last Summer. Hated them cooked that is, but I LOVE them raw. Always picked peas in the young stage at my neighbors garden.
That is why I finally gathered the strength to plant some last year to have some plants that I can pick young fresh peas from. I loved them, I even froze some and ate them frozen as snack in winter. And then I put a fist of them in a stew and loved them cooked too! So the difference was in the fact that store bought peas (pre-frozen) taste yucky. That is why I hated them cooked... So now that I've converted into a Pea eater, I plan on growing more peas this year. In my country, you don't have many varieties to choose from, so I got most of my varieties in trades from overseas. The problem with getting stuff from other places is the names attached to them. Not the variety names, those are clear to me, other stuff confuses me... I would really appreciate it if you could help me with these classifications in terms of telling me exactly what they mean Snow peas Snap peas Sugar Snap peas Shelling peas Soup peas Then there are types of seeds as I understand it: round dented shriveled dried fresh (ok, I get this one) What I'm asking here is the difference between those and the uses of those posted above. When to plant each type and such... Thanks for ANY answers! I'd really love to know more about peas!! |
February 10, 2012 | #44 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Poland
Posts: 251
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As I understand this:
snow are for fresh thin pods snap are for fresh pods too, but the wall of the pod is thicker sugar snap is the same as above, but sweeter shelling is for fresh seeds [pea not ripen fully but full pods] soup is for dried seeds [pea must ripen fully] shiveled seeds are usually when the pea is sweet, and has a little of starch content round are in soup and shelling peas usually - starch content is higher dented - i have no idea what is this shelling, soup, and snow =cukrowy are popular in EU, snap maybe is too, but in Poland I did'nt notice it personally. Planting of all types is in the same time usually, in spring. |
February 10, 2012 | #45 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5
Posts: 931
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I would really appreciate it if you could help me with these classifications in terms of telling me exactly what they mean
Snow peas Snap peas Sugar Snap peas Shelling peas Soup peas Snow peas are the flat podded peas that are called 'mangetout' in French, and I think in much of Europe. The pods don't open naturally, and you eat the whole thing. Often used in Asian cooking. Snap peas are the same as sugar snap peas. They were bred from a snow pea crossed with a shell pea. They are round-podded and you eat the whole thing. Really good raw. There are bush and tall versions. OK frozen. Soup peas are lentils and split peas for making soup. You dry them rather than eat them fresh. Then there are types of seeds as I understand it: round dented shriveled This describes how the seed pea looks before you plant it. dried fresh (ok, I get this one) What I'm asking here is the difference between those and the uses of those posted above. When to plant each type and such... Wikipedia and Google are your friend if you want more details than that, and I'm sure someone else will be along to elaborate on my late-night ramblings. j |
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