Very nice. I saved some dwarf grey sugar earlier, for soup in the winter. Supposedly its a good variety for that.

Let us know how they cook.

Lovely! I only had one specifically soup pea planted this year, Monk, a dwarf variety with lovely pink and white blossoms and huge peas. I planted enough to get fresh seed, as I hadn't grown it in several years, but I think I have enough for one pot of soup in addition to the saved seed.

We were out of town for a week as the garden peas hit their peak and the snow and snap peas were winding down. When we got back I just let everything go for seed. I selected for the most seeds per pod in my six separate varieties and saved those for planting next year, then pooled all of the rest of the peas and have about 2 pounds of mixed varieties for soup this winter.

I used to grow some pole soup peas that I just knew as "Mexican soup peas." I hadn't grown them since my kids were born, though (they turn 9 next month), and I didn't get a single one to sprout this spring. Time to find a replacement. I live on a mountain side at 7300 ft above sea level, so when I found this site listing the altitudes where seeds were collected, well I'll be ordering from them for next spring!

Catherine

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Seed/Search

pnb - I've heard of Dwarf Gray Sugar, though not as soup peas. How do they compare to other peas? My peas are destined for some sort of pea soup, naturally involving bacon or ham. There's an elderly Dutch farmer nearby who I've discussed Capucijner peas with & I'd like to bless him with a batch of pea soup Dutch style. Our American bacon & ham will have to do, because I can't find the Dutch stuff anywhere. The Canadian & St Hubert peas will be cooked up French Canadian style. There are also many French Canadian folk nearby, so I should be able to get a recipe!

Catherine - Monk peas.... according to Purcell Mt they are the original Pea soup pea from the Netherlands. I thought Capucijners were. Will have to ask that elderly farmer to weigh in! Thanks for the web site. I had no idea that so many pea varieties were grown that far south (except cowpeas, of course). I just assumed that it was a northern kind of thing. When I decided to grow soup peas late last winter, I couldn't find any online in the US. I ended up ordering from a young fellow just getting started in organic farming & seed saving. His site is listed at the bottom.

When harvesting, I didn't think to save the peas from the largest pods! Duh! I was going to just save the largest peas to plant next spring. Choosing the biggest pods makes more sense.

I'm pretty excited about my 20+ cups haul of soup peas, and am equally excited that I have planted spinach & lettuce in their place with plenty of growing season left. Can't do that as easily with soup beans here.

Next year, I'd like to try "Crown Peas". A shelling pea, I believe. Although they won't be as productive as other pea varieties, they are supposed to be beautiful. Tall with salmon-pink blossoms all at the top, giving a parasol effect.

Here is a link that might be useful: Annapolis Peas

Couldn't be helped: we went on vacation for a week--naturally at the height of pea-pickin' season (for one of my 4 varieties, anyway). Time we got back, my Sugar Lace snap peas were over-ripe and no longer sweet & tender. I had invited several neighbors to come help themselves--but I have learned in the past that while they love to get veggies delivered to their door, if they have to do the harvesting, well...that's a horse of another color!

Anyway, there is an amazing abundance of pods drying on the vines now, and I happened to think--I have made soup from store-bought dried split peas, but have never had any extra garden peas as we have always eaten them young.

I am wondering if I should go ahead & pick the pods now & let them dry off the vines (I am anxious to use that space for a follow-up crop of something other than peas--probably cukes or maybe some late summer squash) or would it be better to let them dry completely on the plants?
And how does one go about splitting the peas (or should I even bother)?
Once perfectly dry, I'll vacuum-pack them in canning jars and wait for soup-making weather come late fall/winter--yum!

I have more seeds in the packet so intend to plant again for a fall crop to make up for missing the early ones!
Thanks in advance for your suggestions! CK

Weedy,

From what I've read, *most* of the garden & sugar peas don't make a good soup pea. Although some of the smoother peas such as Alaska can make a nice soup pea, less sugar, I suppose.

I still have a lot of peas left in my photo in the original posting They taste great in a soup flavored with ham or bacon, and their season is shorter than that of soup beans. And soooo pretty in the garden too! If anyone wants to try soup peas this summer please contact me.

salt spring seeds have a lot of soup peas. Owen from Annapolis used to work there before he moved to N.S. Salt Spring also carries many varieties of dry beans which mature sooner, like before the end of summer!