Harvesting Garden Peas - Garden peas should be harvested when pods are fairly well filled but still with waxy bright green color. The raw peas should taste sweet. Harvest lower pods first. Consistent daily picking increases production. The harvest period for garden peas lasts from 1 to 2 weeks.
Harvesting Snap Peas - The older the snap pea, the sweeter – up to a point. Harvest snap peas before they touch each other in the pod for the sweetest flavor and crunchiest texture. Pods should appear crisp, slender, and bright green, with immature peas. If you prefer the individual peas, you can allow snap peas to continue to ripen to when the peas in the pod are the size of garden peas. At that point, the pods of the snap pea will be too tough to eat. The harvest period for snap peas is also about 1 to 2 weeks.
Storing Peas - Peas are best when used quickly after harvesting, but they can be refrigerated in plastic bags, and will keep for 2 to 4 days. Both garden peas and snap peas can be frozen, canned, or even dried. They will keep for up to 12 months in any of these forms.
