When To Pick

[ravenhawk]

Im starting to get quite a few pea pods now but Im not sure how big to let them get before I pick them. Can anyone tell me how I know when they are ready to go

[KiwiGardener]

They're best picked when their pods are flat, but start to fatten.

The pods should snap like a bean does, and the whole pod can be eaten.

If they're left too long on the plant they can become tough and stringy.

[MaryG]

If you have a wok be sure to try stir-frying some of them. Yummy, that's my fave way to cook them.

[ravenhawk]

thanks. I never really thought about stirfrying them I like them raw in my salads.

[MrSeedy]

By all means leave them on til you think the pods have gotten as big as you might expect, but just as the peas start to swell. You can tell if they've reached full size at the point where the peas inside do start to swell. Some veggies can be a bit bitter if picked to small and too earlly , and I'd say the say especially for sweet bell peppers. My neighbor would always think hers were more "tender" picked only about half grown , but they tasted horribly bitter at that size for harvesting.