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Also called garden peas, green peas, or English peas, shelling peas are grown for the peas inside the pod. Their pods become tough and fibrous, so the peas are removed, or “shelled,” before eating.
Shelling peas are sweetest when the peas have reached full size but are still tender. Their sugars begin converting to starch soon after harvest, so they should be eaten, cooled, or processed promptly.
Sometimes called sugar peas or Chinese pea pods, snow peas are edible-pod peas harvested before the seeds enlarge.
Harvest snow peas when the pods have reached their full length but remain flat and tender. Pods become tougher and more fibrous when allowed to remain on the vine too long.
Sugar snap peas are also edible-pod peas, but they are harvested at a later stage of pod development than snow peas.
Harvest sugar snap peas when the pods are plump and crisp but before the seeds become overly large and the pod walls become tough.
Plump peas inside a tough, fibrous pod. The peas are shelled before eating.
Flat, tender edible pods harvested while the peas inside are still very small.
Rounded, crisp edible pods with visibly developed peas inside.
The most reliable method is to check the seed packet, variety description, or cultivar name. Vine height, flower color, and general plant appearance are not reliable indicators for distinguishing shelling peas from edible-pod peas.
When the variety is unknown, allow a pod to fill and examine its texture. An edible pod should remain crisp and tender at the recommended harvest stage. A shelling-pea pod will usually be tough, fibrous, or parchment-like even while the peas inside are tender. Do not rely on pod shape alone, because overmature snow peas and sugar snap peas may also become swollen and fibrous.
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