Sorry, I have no experience with shellers, and not even much with shelling. LOL

We may need to start a thread on equipment to get some discussion because I also need to know what people are using to grate things. I like to make relish and my slicer/chopper bit the dust last year. I would buy a new food processor if I was sure it could do the things I want it to do, like (1) slice cukes for pickles (2) grate veggies for relish, (3) slice potatoes thin enough for potato chips, etc. I would love to have one that would grate cheese. I don't care about a juicer, and I have a separate grain mill, so that part doesn't matter. Sorry Paula, didn't mean to steal the thread.

I bought a sheller a few years ago. They work fine if you can stand some sloppy peas and beans. You also have to make sure you pick the pea or bean at the right time or damage is even worse. I even bought the stuff to power it with a battery or electric drill. I dont have a large garden anymore so I dont use it. I never hooked it up to a drill because I wanted to run it at a slow R.P.M.

Larry

I pick peas at all stages - just don't mix the dry ones with the others - save them for a separate batch. I do not like the shellers - they mangle the peas and leave a lot of mashed peas and trash that has to be removed (IMO)- besides I love shelling peas and snapping green beans because it gives me a valid excuse to sit on the porch and gaze around at the birds and flowers and not feel lazy. I second the motion on the cornbread - it is always required.
I freeze peas by just shelling and rinsing in a colander, let drain well and put into containers or ziploc freezer bags - I don't blanch - have always found them to be very good quality. I take a bag from the freezer - put a little bacon in the bottom of a pressure cooker and brown that, add peas and enough water to completely cover the peas plus another cup (peas will expand when cooked), add salt, a dab of sugar, and pepper, maybe a jalapeno and cook at 10# for about 5 minutes. Fantastic!

Carol - if you want a machine that literally does it all - invest in a KitchenAid mixer. I use it not only for the traditional mixing...it has attachments that I use to shred my zuchini for baking, chop/gring my cukes for relish (IT'S PERFECT!) and I also use the meat grinder attachment since DH is a BIG deer hunter. It also makes perfect slices for pickles, potatoe chips, etc. I've had mine for 15 years and the motor is still as good as new. Also mind you, my 2 daughters and I put this machine to WORK around the holidays in addition to all the other times I use it. This was a gift long ago, but I'd willingly spend the $ all over again IF it went out. I just flat can't do without it.

No prob on re-directing the thread. Any useful info is good for all!

And thank so very much to others for the info!!! Glad to know all the opinions about the shellers, which I kinda suspected. I think I feel better about what I've harvested and DEFINTTELY feel more confident about what to do with it!

Paula

My daughter has had a pea sheller for a couple of years and I have been using this year. It it works great!!! But it was expensive she paid 479.00 for it.. but I have one that you can attach a drill to . What you have to do with pea shelters is lay them out over night on a sheet keeping them cool , we put a box fan blowing on them.. let them wilt over night. They run through pea sheller just great and really fast.

I have a pea sheller like that, but have never laid the peas out to dry. Mine, using it just after picking peas, gave me more pea soup than peas. I may have to dig the thing out and try it again next year. I fixed mine where I could run it with a drill or a hand mixer.

I never trusted a mechanical sheller . I just hull them by hand. It's a lot of work , sore fingers and such but I get good peas in the end for canning , etc. I've already canned almost 30 pints of peas earlier on . Now I have a large patch of Knuckle Purple Hull to harvest soon along with a smaller patch of speckled Whippoorwill peas that I'm going to harvest dry. The Whipporwill vines are about waist high now.

the other HU

Here is a good video that shows the various stages of the pinkeye purple hull peas. The pictures of the different stages start at 30 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuefnKOu9Y

We have canned peas for years mainly purplehull.bought a sheller after a few years cant live without it.

Has anyone ever canned the dried peas? I had surgery and was unable to pick as often as needed and have lots of purple hull peas that have dried on the vine. I will use some for seed for next season but dont really need all of them for that. We love the canned purple hull peas! Open up, heat and they are ready to eat. No waiting.