Garden peas, Pisum sativum, are herbaceous annual vegetables for Zones 3 to 10. They perform best with full sun and slightly acidic, sandy loam that drains well.
Depending on the variety and whether they have a bushy or climbing growth habit, plants grow to heights of 18 inches to eight feet with a spread of two to six inches.
They mature in 50 to 120 days, depending on the variety.
Our guide to growing peas has all you need to know to cultivate various types in your vegetable garden.
We also have a comprehensive guide to growing and harvesting pea shoots, leaves, and stems eaten as microgreens.
This article describes when and how to harvest pods to eat the tender peas inside.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
When to Harvest
As mentioned, growth habits and the number of days to maturity can vary between different cultivars.
When you purchase your favorite varieties, keep the seed packets for reference.
On the back of the packet, you’ll find the approximate number of days from germination to maturity and harvest readiness.
When your plants bloom, get ready to watch the fruit formation process. The flowers fade and drop off, leaving an empty green, petal-like calyx.
Then, the green pointed tip of a pod emerges. Gradually, it lengthens and inflates as the seeds form inside.
As the maturity date approaches, the fruits grow to three to four inches long and acquire a glossy sheen.
The perfect time to pick shelling varieties is just before they are completely mature.
The pods should be rounded but not filled and bulging, they should flex slightly with gentle pressure, and you can feel firm seeds inside them.
Fruits that are dull rather than glossy, so full they seem swollen, inflexible when pressed, or split open, are past their prime and likely to contain starchy, less sweet, but still edible seeds.
A practical option for overripe fruits is to leave them in place until they dry. Then, pick them to store for next year’s seeds or use in slow-cooked soups.
How to Harvest
The ideal time to go picking is just before you’re ready to eat. Whether you’ll add them raw to a salad or steam a potful, you’ll enjoy your crop at its tender, flavorful best.
How often you harvest depends on the type(s) you grow. Cultivars with a bushy growth habit are generally determinate, which means they yield one crop that all tends to ripen at the same time.
Those with climbing vines are indeterminate and produce multiple harvests.
As a crop approaches its maturity date, most pods will be ready, but not all. Use the criteria above to evaluate the harvest readiness of each.
When you have a pod ready to pick, grasp the pedicel, which is the little stem above the calyx that attaches it to the larger vining or bushy stem. Pinch the pod off the main stem and put it into a bag or basket.
For large crops, you may want to use pruners to snip the pedicels rather than pinching them off. Clean your favorite shears with a nine parts water to one part bleach solution and rinse and dry them well before and after use.
If you decide to leave the pods intact until they dry out, either because a crop got away from you or deliberately for next year’s seeds, use the same technique to pick them when they are brown and rattly.
Dig and discard entire spent plants on the compost heap at season’s end.
For gardeners in regions that freeze, be sure to listen to the forecast and try to finish all picking before the first frost to avoid loss.
Shelling and Storage
Once you’ve harvested, it’s shelling time.
Here’s how:
- Hold a pod with the straight inside seam facing you and the curved outside seam facing away.
- Grasp the top, beneath the calyx with your thumb over the front seam and your fingers over the back seam.
- Apply gentle pressure inward and downward.
- When the seam pops open, use your thumbs to widen it from the top to the bottom and slide the contents out.
- Discard the inedible pods on the compost heap.
Some pods are tougher than others.
If necessary, bend the style, the little point at the bottom, upward toward you, and pull the attached string up along the seam to open it and reveal the peas inside.
There are electric shellers on the market with mixed reviews.
Unless you are involved in large-scale production, you may find a pre-dinner family shelling contest sufficiently efficient and more fun.
Shelled peas stay fresh in a micro-perforated zippered plastic produce bag for up to a week in the vegetable crisper bin of the refrigerator.
They can also be frozen in a non-vented zippered plastic freezer bag for up to a year.
Discard produce that shows signs of spoilage, such as a slippery texture, discoloration, and/or musty odor.
Store dried-on-the-vine peas for planting next year or use in soup in an airtight container in a cool, dry location. Soak them overnight to hasten germination or the cooking process.
Pass the Peas, Please
Let’s recap.
The time to pick garden or shelling peas is when the pods are almost, but not entirely, full of plump, round edible seeds.
Bushy, determinate plants produce one crop per season. Those with a climbing, indeterminate growth habit yield multiple.
The harvesting technique is quick and easy, using your fingers or pruners to pinch or snip the pedicel that connects the calyx at the top of the pod to the main stem.
Peas lose flavor quickly, so it’s best to pick them just before eating. They should stay fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator or a year in the freezer when properly stored.
It’s time to bring in your best harvest yet. Get ready to hear, “Please pass the peas,” when the folks around your dining table ask for seconds!
Do you grow peas? What are your favorites? Please tell us about them in the comments section below.
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