Pea Sweet Sahara (snow pea)

Sweet Sahara is a shorty (65-75cm tall) with delicate white flowers followed by a copious crop of delectable pods.  Grow in the garden or containers on your patio and at that height they are perfect in raised beds.  Sweet Sahara is sweet with easy to find pods – growing up to 8cm long.  At that size they are great to slice before steaming or stir frying or pick when younger for a tender addition to your salads

Price for 50 seeds

WHY IS THIS VARIETY OF MANGETOUT ALSO KNOWN AS A SNOW PEA?

Simply put they are mangetout (French for eat all), mangetout is used for the types of garden pea picked very young, so young that the pod is still flat and the peas have barely developed.  The term ‘snow pea’ is largely interchangeable with mangetout but is gradually coming into use for pods that stay flat to a larger size and then can be cooked or added to a stir-fry. 

SOW: from late March to June.  We sow our peas 3 per pot ready to plant out as a clump.  Sowing in guttering to be slid into place is a popular method.  They can also be sown in situ but are at greater risk from foraging mice!

GROW: if pot/guttering sown harden off before planting out. Peas like moisture and will tolerate light shade, they will need watering in dry weather.  Pick regularly to encourage more growth. At 65-75cm tall Sweet Sahara will need little or no support but some pea sticks will ensure they don’t flop over in wind or rain.

EAT: pick them while still flat, before they begin to swell, whilst at their sweetest.  As this is a snow pea, Sweet Sahara pods can be 8cm long and still flat - these can be sliced before steaming or stir-frying.  Sliced pods can be blanched then frozen.