Sweet peas will keep flowering if you pick the flowers regularly – a good excuse to have some beautiful flowers in your home. Remember- sweet pea seed pods look similar to edible pea pods but they are poisonous and must not be eaten.
Are sweet peas related to edible peas?
Sweet peas and edible peas are related, as both belong to the Fabaceae (legume) family, but they are from different genera (plural form of genus). Sweet peas belong to the genus Lathyrus, which are commonly known as vetchlings, wild peas or pea vines.
Do sweet pea flowers produce edible peas?
Since they are members of the legume family, people often wonder, can you eat sweet peas? No! All sweet peas plants are toxic.
Are sweet peas actually peas?
The sweet pea isn’t a pea at all—in fact, the seeds of the sweet pea plant are toxic and not edible! However, regular, garden-variety peas are sometimes informally called sweet peas, so that is where the confusion stems from.
How do I know if my peas are edible?
Harvest snow peas when the pods are around 2 inches tall; they should be slightly unripe. Snap peas: Snap peas are slightly crisper and thicker than snow peas, but you’ll still be able to eat their pods. Pick them when the peas inside are round but not too swollen or firm.
What peas are not edible?
Although garden peas, (Pisum sativum) such as English peas, edible podded peas and snow peas are edible, sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are poisonous – especially the flowers and seeds.
Which pea pods are edible?
Peas with edible pea pods include sugar, Chinese and snow peas. Snow peas, also known as sugar peas, have edible flat pods with small peas inside them. Snap peas also have edible pods but they have full-size peas in them.
What happens if you eat sweet pea pods?
Symptoms: Accidental ingestion does not result in poisoning. However eating large quantities of seed for weeks to months can result in a paralytic syndrome. Symptoms can include paralysis, slow and weak pulse, breathing difficulty and convulsions. Warning: Seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
What are the pods on my sweet peas?
When you stop harvesting flowers and pruning the sweet peas, they will go to seed. When this happens, the flowers will die off and the sweet peas will start to form pods that are full of seeds. Then, you’ll have to wait for the pods to develop and brown before you can pick them.
What part of the sweet pea plant is edible?
All parts of the pea plant are edible. As the pea leaves and stems mature, they tend to get tough and stringy, but when they are young, the pea shoots are not just tender, they are also crisp and tasty. They have a pea-like flavor, but even fresher.
Whats the difference between green peas and sweet peas?
Nothing. Different names for the same things. Both are pretty vague names, so sometimes also get used to describe other similar peas, but generally both of those are going to mean the typical pea.
What is the difference between garden pea and sweet pea?
Garden peas are sometimes called sweet peas or English peas. The pods are firm and rounded, but you must shell them, remove the peas inside, then discard the pods before eating. The peas are sweet and may be eaten raw or cooked; these are the peas you typically see canned or in the freezer section.
Is it OK to eat raw peas?
They need to be cooked before consuming, usually by rehydrating and simmering in a hot liquid. For especially young and fresh peas, you can eat the pods raw (think sugar snaps), but as the peas get older their outer pods become fibrous and tough, making them less pleasant to snack on.
Are all peas edible?
Almost every part of the pea plant is edible
Of course we know the peas themselves are delicious, but in many varieties such as snow peas and sugar snap peas, the pods are also edible. An often overlooked but delicious part of the pea plant is the pea shoot.
How often should you pick sweet peas?
‘I have found that the optimum picking period for sweet peas is about ten days. It is important to remove every single flower – and to enjoy the resulting fragrant bunches of blooms for the house,’ he explains. But what do you need for the job? Monty shared that picking sweet peas was undemanding, and he was right.
Can I eat the whole pea pod?
You can eat the whole pod, with the peas inside, and if you can get them fresh from the farmer’s market, they will be so impressively sweet. TIP: You may want to break the ends off and remove the long strand that runs along the side—but with very fresh and tender peas, chances are you won’t even notice it.
Are sweet pea shoots edible?
Even the shoots, tendrils, flowers and leaves of real peas and mangetout are edible and delicious (NOT sweet peas) and can be harvested for delicate garnishes, micro leaf creations or for just munching within the greenhouse as they sprout into life.
Is sweet pea poisonous to dogs?
Any of these plants can be considered toxic to your dog, cat, or other small animals. Although they sound like they should be edible, sweet pea plants are not food. As a matter of fact, they contain the toxic chemical called aminoproprionitrile, which causes musculoskeletal and central nervous system problems.
Why are sweet peas called sweet peas?
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) derive their name from the Greek lathyros for pea or pulse, and the Latin odoratus, meaning fragrant.
Can you cook and eat pea pods?
If the pods are young, they are tender enough to eat whole; and if older and fibrous, they add a delicate, uplifting flavour to a soup or stock.
Can you use pea pods for anything?
It always seems sad to compost empty shell-pea pods once you’ve shucked and eaten the peas. There’s still a lot of nutrients and flavor in the pods, so with a few steps you can turn the shells into a pretty green puree to use in sauces and pasta dishes. -Blanch the pea shells by adding them to a pot of boiling water.