Thursday, July 08, 2010

So Much for Staggering Snap Peas

In years past, I've only planted one batch of snap peas. They've produced a good amount of peas, but in a short period of time and then they're done. So we gorge on snap peas and then they're just gone for good. I though this year I would do something really clever - I'd stagger my snap pea plantings by several weeks and then we'd have peas for a much longer time period. So in the first garden box I planted some snap pea starts that I bought at a plant sale to benefit our local food bank. In the second box I planted seeds at the same time. In the 3rd and 4th boxes I staggered more pea plantings at 2 - 3 week intervals. Hah, I would have an unending supply of snap peas!

Except that it was cold and rainy through May and most of June, so almost nothing grew. Then a couple of weeks ago when it suddenly got really warm, they all exploded with growth and blossoms. Now all of the snap peas look identical in size, no matter when they were planted, and they're all bursting at the seams with pea pods. So guess what? I'm picking a colander a day of snap peas and we're all turning green from eating them. And I guess they'll all be done about the same time since the weather is in the mid-nineties and not falling anytime soon. Snap peas don't really care for the heat.

I guess we'll just have to enjoy them while they're here. We're definitely eating very locavore right now!

3 comments:

ZZZ said...

Yum! I hope you are preserving some for the winter too!

Robin said...

Our whole family are raw veggie eaters, none of us like cooked veggies too much. So I haven't had much success with preserving veggies. Last year I blanched and froze some green beans, but then nobody ate them but me. How would you preserve snap peas?

Manzanita said...

Do you think that's trying to tell us something about life? Doesn't matter when we're "planted"..... when we get what we need for life ..... we explode into greatness.

But in the mean time, eat away and enjoy your peas.