How to Know When Peas are Ready to Pick: A Complete Guide

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Your peas are growing and have produced a good crop. You may be wondering when to pick peas for the best flavor and long-lasting nutrients. Learning when to harvest peas isnt difficult. The best time to pick peas depends on when they were planted, how they grew, and what kind of pea they are.

Picking peas at just the right time is key to getting the best flavor and texture. As a home gardener, knowing when to harvest peas can be tricky if you’ve never grown them before. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know about determining when peas are ready to pick.

What to Look for When Peas Are Ready

There are a few key signs that indicate peas are ready for harvesting

  • The pods are uniformly green with a slightly glossy appearance. Peas start off quite dark green when young. As they mature, the color lightens a bit and takes on a waxy look.

  • Pods feel full and resist a gentle squeeze but are not rock hard Immature peas feel spongy Perfectly ripe peas will feel rounded and firm but still yield slightly to pressure.

  • The pods snap cleanly in two, except for the inner string. Trying to snap open an overripe pod often results in the peas inside splitting.

  • Any pods that look fibrous or start turning yellow are overripe. Remove these right away so plants keep producing new pods.

Pea Varieties and Maturation Times

Not all pea varieties mature at the same rate:

  • Shelling peas – Also called English peas or garden peas. Most take 50-70 days to be harvest ready. These have inedible pods.

  • Snow peas – Eaten pods and all. Most snow pea cultivars need around 60 days. Pick while pods are still flat before peas swell.

  • Snap peas – A cross between shelling and snow peas. Harvest in 55-60 days when plump but before pods bulge.

  • Petit pois – French for “small peas.” These extra sweet varieties are picked quite young, usually around 40 days from seeding.

Knowing the variety you planted and how long it takes to mature helps gauge when your peas will be ready to start picking.

When to Start Harvesting Peas

Once the majority of peas have developed full, rounded pods, it’s time to begin harvesting. Picking peas stimulates further pod production.

Make it a habit to check peas daily once the first few pods reach maturity. Walk down each row, gently squeezing pods to test for readiness. Harvest ripe pods into a basket by snapping them off vine stems.

Peas mature rapidly, so stay on top of daily harvesting. Leaving ripe pods on the vines signals to the plant that production is complete. Overripe peas decline in texture and flavor.

How Long Does the Harvesting Season Last?

If you maintain your pea patch properly, you can harvest peas for 2-3 weeks. Here are some tips to extend the productivity of your pea vines:

  • Pick frequently to encourage further pod development.

  • Remove any diseased or overmature pods right away.

  • Keep vines well watered – peas need consistent soil moisture.

  • Feed plants compost or fish emulsion when bloom starts.

  • Support vines with trellises or tepees to keep pods off the ground.

  • Cover vines with insect netting to prevent pest damage.

  • Sow a new crop every 2-3 weeks to stagger harvests.

As long as vines remain healthy, they will keep flowering and producing peas to pick.

Optimal Storage and Preservation of Fresh Peas

For the best flavor and texture, peas should be eaten as soon as possible after picking. Here are some storage tips:

  • Place freshly picked pods in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator.

  • Leave unshelled peas in the pods until right before cooking or eating raw.

  • Consume within 2-3 days for maximum sweetness and tiny bursting pop when bitten. The natural sugars start converting to starches quickly after picking.

  • For longer storage, blanch shelled peas 2-3 minutes then freeze in airtight containers.

  • Canning peas in a pressure canner preserves texture and color well. Use current USDA approved canning methods.

  • Pickling is another excellent way to preserve fresh peas. Refrigerator quick pickles only need 20-30 minutes of processing.

Enjoy peas at their garden-fresh best by harvesting at peak ripeness and using right away. Follow these picking tips for a bountiful pea crop.

Frequently Asked Questions About Harvesting Peas

New pea growers often have some common questions about knowing when to start picking. Here are answers to some of the top frequently asked questions:

When should I start checking my peas for harvest?

Begin inspecting peas daily as soon as you notice the first few pods filling out. Gently squeeze pods to test for firmness. This usually happens around 50-70 days from seeding depending on variety.

Can I harvest peas after the pods start to look fibrous?

It’s best to remove fibrous overripe pods to encourage further production. The peas inside will be starchy rather than sweet and tender. Only young, green, glossy pods should be harvested.

What’s the best time of day to pick peas?

Harvest peas in the morning after any dew has dried for maximum crispness. The natural sugars start converting to starch quickly after picking, so consume soon.

Should I harvest

How to Harvest Peas

Both tender hulls and seeds of peas are edible. Tender, edible pods come from the early harvest. When you learn how to harvest pea seeds and when you learn how to harvest pea pods depends on what part of the vegetable you want to use.

  • When picking peas for pods, sugar snap peas should be soft and have seeds that aren’t fully developed yet.
  • When pods form but pea seeds don’t show up, snow peas are ready to be picked.
  • Garden peas that are grown for their seeds should be fully grown but still have tender peas when they are picked.

Start checking the peas at the right time after planting them, and pick the ones that are the ripest. If you planted an early variety of peas, you can pick the pods for eating as early as 54 days after planting. To pick pea pods, you can pick them when they are flat and the right length for the type of peas you are growing. When to pick peas is determined by what you want from the pea. If you prefer edible hulls with developed seeds, allow more time before picking peas. When you are picking peas for the pea seeds, pods should be plump and have a swollen appearance. Check a few of the biggest pods randomly to see if they are the size you want. This, in combination with the number of days since planting, guides you on how to harvest pea seeds. Once youve started harvesting peas, check them daily. When to harvest peas a second time depends on their growth, which can vary by the outdoor temperature. Some more peas may be ready for the second harvest in a day or two. As long as all the peas were planted at the same time, the harvest usually takes one to two weeks. Harvest as many times as needed to remove all peas from the vines. Successive plantings allow a continuing supply of seeds and hulls ready to harvest. Now that youve learned how to harvest pea pods and seeds, try a crop of this nutritious vegetable. Check the seed packet for when to harvest, write it down on the calendar, and keep an eye on your crop for early growth, especially when the conditions are best. When you’re done picking peas, put the pea hulls and leaves that you don’t need in the compost pile or turn them under into the growing patch. These are nitrogen rich and provide nutrients far superior to chemical fertilizers in the soil.

When to Harvest Peas

Robby
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