Snap pea (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon ser. cv.) is a cultivar of edible-podded peas in the family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia. It is also known as Sugar snap pea and Mangetout. Snap pea is developed by crossing Chinese snow peas and an unusual pea that was tightly podded with thick wall, resulting a pea that breaks or snap like a green bean.
Snap pea plant is a cool season trailing plant with compound pale green leaves. The stems are lined with branched tendrils that curl around trellis or other support. The plant can tolerate light frost when young, and needs 4-6 hours of sunlight each day. Some plant can climb up to 2 m high but the plant is usually grow 1-1.3 m tall for ease of harvest. Mature plant bears loose clusters of lightly fragrant white, pink or lavender pea flowers on short stems among the foliage.
Snap peas are usually harvested when the pods are plump and bulging with mature seeds. The pods can be green or yellow in color. Young pea pods are virtually stringless and eaten immature (pod and all). Snap pea does not open when ripe as there is no membrane. Mature pod grows to 4-8 cm long, and contains 3-5 peas. The pods are sweet and tender, with thick walls, and are edible (except for the strings). Snap pea is eaten raw or cooked, and is usually eaten whole, stir-fried, steamed, or served in salads. The membranous strings running along the sides of mature snap pea pod, from base to tip, are usually removed before cooking. Over cooking will make the pod comes apart.
Snap pea grows well in full sun, rich friable and well drained soil. Pea seeds should be directly sown in the ground as seedlings do not transplant well. Many cultivars reach maturity 60 days after seeding. Snap peas are harvested when the pods are fully developed, and should be harvested every 1 or 3 days to get peak quality. They are best when the pods first started to fatten but before the seeds grow very large. Snap pea left too long on the vine will develop tough fiber in the pod walls.
Snap pea is low in calories, and is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and potassium.
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