I read in The Garden magazine about using pea shoots in salads. I like this idea.
The variety mentioned is Sugar Tall White. I cannot find this. Is it a pea variety or a type?
Could any pea shoots be used :-\
Any pea you like. Let them reach full size first or you'll be limiting your crop. Sugar Tall White is an obscure mangetout, but it makes no difference.
You could sow a batch of pea seed (any variety but try a few different ones for taste) on a regular basis in trays in the GH or perhaps on the window and harvest the seedlings when they are a few inches tall and use them in your salads. Treat them like many of the salad leaves and sow and harvest regularly. You do not necessarily need any compost, just a tray and kitchen roll or similar kept moist but not soggy and in a warm place, even the airing cupboard.
Come to think of it, you could use peas as sprouting seeds.
Yes I think I will give it a go.
The article was not so much talking of sprouting the seeds, possibly my description was bad, more allowing the plant to reach a couple of feet, pinching out the tip and producing many shoots which are then picked and used in salads. 8)
I grow a variety called the parsley-leaf pea that is strongly recommended for producing crisp edible sprouts.
It is a good nibble though I've never grown enough leaves for a proper meal (I've always been more interested in the pods).
I kept it going for years (barely this year - very bad rodent attack last year caused by stupidly trying to grow a seed crop in a sheltered area).
It is sold as "parsley pea" by Plants of Distinction.
Definitely worth a go.
Has anyone tried simply buying cheap dried peas intended for soups etc, rather than expensive seeds?
Hey Ipt8,
You may have two bunches of people here talking about different things or any stage inbetween.
Do you mean using them like beansprouts shortly after germination?
Or do you mean trimming the most recent shoots off a plant that might be any size up to full size? This is the dual-purpose method - where you end up harvesting pea pods too. The parsley pea is best this way.
Cheers.
i use cheap marrowfat peas from morrisons 40p ish per packet and i grow these for young shoots and pick them when about 2" high and they are very tasty and you get loads and loads from 1 packet.
You can do all sorts with any spare peas.
You can grow them as pea shoots - so soaking and rinsing and eat when about an inch long
You can sow into a pot shoulder to shoulder, leave to about 6 inches tall and pinch the tips out - they grow back 2-3 times and can be reharvested.
You can grow to full maturity and pick the peas as they fill out the pods and eat fresh
You can leave the pods on until dry and harvest as dry, and resoak and cook up as you would dried peas [for soups, stews etc].
Marvelous innit!!!
Thanks, hippydave, that's exactly what I wanted to know.