How to Pick Field Peas
Grow, or locate, a U-pick produce grower that allows customers to pick peas in their field., Prepare yourself for your outing in the pea patch., Enter the field and select a row of peas to pick., Step carefully to avoid damaging the pea vines, which...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: or locate
You will want to learn a little bit about the different varieties and their characteristics:
Black-eyed peas
- these are usually harvested and used dry, rather than fresh and succulent from the garden.
A cousin of the black-eyes are pink-eyes, a popular, easy-to-grow field pea common in the south, where they are often called "purple hull peas." Crowder peas
- these are usually a green pea that is tightly packed in the shell.
Cream peas
- these are a lighter colored pea, with a milder flavor than the above mentioned varieties.
Zipper peas
- these have a fibrous vein along the length of the shell, which, when pulled, makes splitting the shell much easier. -
Step 2: a U-pick produce grower that allows customers to pick peas in their field.
You may find the weather very warm during the field pea season, so consider wearing light colored clothing and a broad rimmed hat.
Other things you might take along to wear or carry once at the farm include:
Sturdy boots Long pants Sunscreen Sunglasses Hampers, bags, buckets, or other containers for your peas. , Peas are usually planted in rows about 3 feet (91.5 cm) apart.
Look for rows that have lots of mature peas, and remember that it is more efficient to pick peas by row, rather than randomly wandering around, so that you can keep track of which pea vines have been harvested.
Staying between rows also reduces damage to the plants., Keep your container close by.
Use a container that you can set on the ground and that won't overturn easily., Choose the peas which are fully matured and pull them from the stems.
Most field peas have a series of bulges visible through the shell, indicating fully formed individual peas inside., You can gather several in the plucking hand, then toss them into the bucket to make your efforts more efficient., If you have a choice, choose clean, well-tended fields for your pea-picking expedition., Keep them in a cool, shaded place until you are ready to shell them., A large, shallow bowl works well for this step.
Find a comfortable place, have a seat, and shell away; you will soon learn that picking the peas is only half the work! -
Step 3: Prepare yourself for your outing in the pea patch.
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Step 4: Enter the field and select a row of peas to pick.
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Step 5: Step carefully to avoid damaging the pea vines
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Step 6: which often overlap the rows and can be entangled
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Step 7: making travel difficult.
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Step 8: Here you can see a mature pea compared to two that are not yet filled out.
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Step 9: Hold the stem of the plant and pull the peas free of the plant.
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Step 10: Watch for peas which have obvious insect damage.
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Step 11: Pick the desired amount of peas and carry them home.
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Step 12: Rinse the peas under lots of fresh water
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Step 13: then transfer them into a clean container for shelling.
Detailed Guide
You will want to learn a little bit about the different varieties and their characteristics:
Black-eyed peas
- these are usually harvested and used dry, rather than fresh and succulent from the garden.
A cousin of the black-eyes are pink-eyes, a popular, easy-to-grow field pea common in the south, where they are often called "purple hull peas." Crowder peas
- these are usually a green pea that is tightly packed in the shell.
Cream peas
- these are a lighter colored pea, with a milder flavor than the above mentioned varieties.
Zipper peas
- these have a fibrous vein along the length of the shell, which, when pulled, makes splitting the shell much easier.
You may find the weather very warm during the field pea season, so consider wearing light colored clothing and a broad rimmed hat.
Other things you might take along to wear or carry once at the farm include:
Sturdy boots Long pants Sunscreen Sunglasses Hampers, bags, buckets, or other containers for your peas. , Peas are usually planted in rows about 3 feet (91.5 cm) apart.
Look for rows that have lots of mature peas, and remember that it is more efficient to pick peas by row, rather than randomly wandering around, so that you can keep track of which pea vines have been harvested.
Staying between rows also reduces damage to the plants., Keep your container close by.
Use a container that you can set on the ground and that won't overturn easily., Choose the peas which are fully matured and pull them from the stems.
Most field peas have a series of bulges visible through the shell, indicating fully formed individual peas inside., You can gather several in the plucking hand, then toss them into the bucket to make your efforts more efficient., If you have a choice, choose clean, well-tended fields for your pea-picking expedition., Keep them in a cool, shaded place until you are ready to shell them., A large, shallow bowl works well for this step.
Find a comfortable place, have a seat, and shell away; you will soon learn that picking the peas is only half the work!
About the Author
Nancy Hart
Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.
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