When peas are done, they are done. They have a pretty short vegetable lifespan, about 60 days. And they don’t do well in heat. That means that pea season is OVER. More than half of the peas I picked today were tough and mealy, halfway to pea seeds. That’s fine with me.
Saving pea seeds is easy and there are plenty of good reasons to do it. First, seed saving also saves money. Second, I really like my ‘Early Frosty’ peas. By choosing the best pea plants and saving their seeds, next year’s crop will be even better. Third, just in case the Apocalypse or Rapture or whatever, it might be nice to be able to plant some of my own food. Okay, that last reason is crazy. I am not a nutty survivalist, but I really do like to be able to be responsible for my own cheap food and I needed a third good reason to save seeds.
To save pea seeds, leave the pods on the vines until they have dried. Once dried, pick the pods from the vines and remove the seed. Let them cure further on a plate in a dry, safe place. Remove the rest of the chaff from the seeds and store them in an envelope. I used to keep my seeds in the laundry room, then I read that they should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, so there they are now. Next year, I won’t have to buy pea seeds. Good thing, I need to plant more peas next year. But I'm not saving any of those 'Oregon Trail' peas. Not my favorites.
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