Garden Peas

The sweet garden pea is smooth, bright green and crisp, and is the variety that is most commonly used for freezing. When picking or buying peas in the pod, it is worth bearing in mind that 1kg of pods yields about 750g of large peas or 500g of small tender peas.

Peas should be eaten as fresh as possible, as they begin to lose their sweet flavour and green colour within hours of harvesting. They are one of the few vegetables that retain their fresh flavour, texture and colour when frozen, making them a good alternative to the fresh variety.

Sweet garden peas may be boiled and served simply, bathed in butter or tossed in mint butter. Some cooks also like to add a small sprig of fresh mint to the cooking water. They may also be mixed with rice or ham, or coated with a creamy béchamel sauce.