purple podded peas

[calendula]

I've been saving all my seeds from the pea pods this year to increase seed stock - the pods are very full but they look to be a marrow fat type of pea - has anyone actually cooked and tasted theirs yet and could comment on the taste. I know this is subjective but would be interested in the flavour notes  :)

[calendula]

[saddad]

They are a bit starchy for just "peas" as a side dish but are ok cooked in soups etc. Lancashire Lad are also purple podded  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're not as sweet as the green podded ones, not that you'd notice by the time I've finished piling in the spices! You could try adding sugar when you're cooking them, or use them in stews etc. 'Purple-podded' is a type of pea not a variety, and I suspect they vary. If anyone comes across a sweet one, it would be good to hear about it!

[calendula]

many thanks - do they go soft or mushy or slightly hard even when cooked - beginning to think they might not be that great  :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

I don't cook them long enough to go mushy! Texture's the same as any other pea.

[lolabelle]

saddad

where can I buy Lancashire lad pea seeds , I would love to try and grow them LB ;)

[saddad]

You can't buy them, they are HSL but if you pm me I can send you @20 as I have bulked them up this year!  ;D

[Gail-M]

Hi,

I grow purple podded climbing peas too mostly because they look so good & they're hertitage - I don't think the taste is very good especially the more mature they get. What I tend to do is mix them in with my other peas when I cook them - the colours are different & looks & tastes fine


regards Gail   

[Robert_Brenchley]

How do Lancashire Lad compare with other purple podded varieties? I mix all my varieties up together, and as we don't follow the British cusom of cooking everything separately with little or nothing in the way of spice, a lack of sweetness bothers me not at all!

[saddad]

I foud them sweeter than the "normal" purple podded from HSL but best as you say cooked with spices... rather than as a dish on their own...  ;D

[Suzanne]

I puree my peas when they go a bit over - with a bit of btter, salt and black pepper it seems to remove the starchiness. I have some Lancashire Lad from HSL - but trying to increase stocks this year as this is my first year growing so I won't be able to eat them. Ah well - patience is a virtue ::)

[barkingdog]

I have found Carruther's Purple Podded (also from HSL) to be much sweeter than the other purple podded varieties that I've tried and they have beautiful flowers too!

A good place for info on them (and other heritage varieties) is at http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2008/01/heritage-vegetable-review-pea.html

I am bulking up my stocks of this (I only started with 10 seeds) but I may be able to swap it next year!

bd