We spoke with Terry Rayner, one of the senior partners at Terwins Seeds.
Terry has enjoyed a long career in the agricultural seeds trade, spending several years as a certified crops inspector.
Terry was [...]
Peashoots – the cure for frustrated gardeners
Most parts of the UK have been severely affected by snow and/or rain for weeks now, and the prospect of being able to sow any seeds is a distant one for most gardeners. I expect this leaves many of you (like me) frustrated and impatient to get on and DO SOMETHING! Well, here’s a little something that you can do to stave off that frustration, and at the same time give you something nice to eat: sow some indoor-grown peashoots.
I have not had a lot of luck with growing peas in my garden. For some reason the conditions just don’t seem to suit them. They are never very productive and often fall victim to Powdery Mildew, even when I grow so-called Mildew Resistant varieties (last year I tried “Boogie” but they were still no better). Because of this I have decided not to try growing peas any more. This left me with a few part-used packets of seed, so I thought I would use them rather than just throw them away, and I have set them to sprout on an indoor windowsill.
My method is very simple (I have used it before, so I know it works). You put a few layers of moist kitchen paper in the bottom of a small plastic cotainer and just sprinkle the peas on top. You then put the container in a warm light place, e.g. a windowsill above a radiator, and wait for them to sprout, which will take roughly 4 or 5 days. Ensure that the paper never dries out.
After a few days green shoots will emerge. Cut these just above a leaf-joint when they are 3 or 4 inches tall and have several small leaves. They are a delicious salad ingredient, with an amazingly intense pea flavour. What’s more they will re-sprout a couple more times if you cut them carefully.
Naturally, this method does not have to use “proper” pea seeds. You can also use a packet of dried peas from the supermarket, which will be a lot cheaper (though you won’t get a named variety!)
Since it’s not really gardening weather, I have recently been devoting a lot more time to cooking. Come along to my blog and see what I’ve been up to… http://marksvegplot.blogspot.com
What a great idea to get something else added to your salad,also using supermarket packs of peas if you haven’t any if your own. Great little tip and read.