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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: GaryJS on July 20, 2007, 12:47:34

Title: Asparagus pea
Post by: GaryJS on July 20, 2007, 12:47:34
Well.. Someone did warn me.. YUK!!! They taste awful! Don't try to eat them raw.. They make your mouth shrivel up!!! When cooked they don't seem to taste of anything nice either...

Does anyone know anyway of making them taste any better?

All that can be said for them is that the plants / flowers look quite nice!
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 20, 2007, 14:30:13
Put them in an extra hot curry?
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Mrs Ava on July 20, 2007, 15:56:29
Pick them when they are really small and young, cook gently and disguise them in sauce or lashings of butter?
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: GaryJS on July 20, 2007, 16:05:20
It didn't seem to help picking the young.. They were all between 1.5 and 3 cm long. So what your saying is do everything you can to hide them! Seems a good plan to me! I don't think I'll bother next year!
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: SnooziSuzi on July 20, 2007, 16:18:32
Funnilly enough one of the gardening mags did a short feature on this plant a couple of weeks back but I can't find it right now.   

From memory it said that the only thing this had was it's unusually shaped pod as it didn't taste of anything in particular and was a bit difficult to grow.

Don't think I'll bother with this one!
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: asbean on July 20, 2007, 18:24:09
Oh dear - I succumbed to buying some T&M half price seed to try next year, as we've never eaten it before.  :( :( :(
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Mrs Ava on July 20, 2007, 18:42:21
Tastes like grass.  ;D
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: saddad on July 20, 2007, 19:46:30
But they are a very decorative edging plant... grew them about ten years ago and wasn't impressed, have tried them again this year biut will probably just look at them like the Paracress....
but like to have something odd for the open days...
;D
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: real food on July 20, 2007, 19:53:24
Definitely a waste of time growing it! Once was quite enough!
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Amazin on July 20, 2007, 22:32:40
EJ, what an interesting diet you have!

;D
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Mrs Ava on July 20, 2007, 22:50:04
That's me, chewing the cud.  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: Amazin on July 20, 2007, 23:50:48
At least you've got something to harvest!

;D
Title: Re: Asparagus pea
Post by: wildthing on July 21, 2007, 10:16:05
Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one who tried Asparagus Peas and found them wanting. Where did they get the "Asparagus" bit from? Nothing like it. Even the chickens weren't keen. They do make a reasonable edging plant. Just don't eat them.
The other horror was "Killer Whale Beans". Theoretically you could dry them and use as haricot beans in stews. Yuk.
This year I have tried Golden podded peas [heritage seeds] which you eat as mange-tout. Very tasty.   I had to pinch the tops off at 2 metres. It looked a bit like Jack and the Beanstalk and I had no desire to use a stepladder to pick them.
I also have purple podded peas. [Another Heritage] seed. We should be harvesting the first pods this week...I did plant them late. They look spectacular, and reached 2 metres before I chopped the tops off. Loads of pods. These I shall definitely grow again if they taste as good as they look.