A Guide to the Most Common Types of Peas All peas—including English, sugar snap, snow, and pea shoots—are fresh, green, and sweet, but these spring vegetables differ in a few important ways. In This Article View All In This Article English Peas Snow Peas Sugar Snap Peas Pea Shoots When to Pick Fresh Peas Fresh, green peas are a staple of spring, with varieties including English, sugar snap, snow peas, and pea shoots, each offering distinct flavors and uses. While some, like English peas, need to be shelled before eating, others, such as snow and sugar snap peas, are fully edible. Certain peas can be eaten raw, whereas others require cooking for optimal sweetness. Experts provide insights into selecting and preparing each type to enhance your culinary creations. Ronna Welsh is the founder and owner of the Purple Kale Kitchenworks cooking school and the author of "The Nimble Cook." Renee Pottle is the creator of Seed to Pantry, a website focused on food preservation techniques, canning, gardening, and recipes. She is also the author of several canning and recipe books. Credit: Johnny Miller English Peas Credit: Copyright Gavin Kilbride / GETTY IMAGES This type of pea is also known as shelling or garden peas. English peas are typically found in the frozen section in grocery stores. The pod isn't eaten—just the peas inside. When buying fresh English peas, look for firm, round pods (about 3 to 4 inches long) that are a smooth green color and unblemished. Avoid older-looking pods because the peas will not be as sweet. To open the pea-pod, pull down on the stem to string it and gently push out the attached peas. Compost the pod or add them to a spring vegetable stock. How to Cook With English Peas English peas should not be eaten raw. "You need to cook them to turn them from starchy to sweet," says Ronna Welsh, founder and owner of Purple Kale Kitchenworks cooking school and the author of "The Nimble Cook." Simply blanch the peas in a pot of boiling water for a minute or two, then shock them in cold water. How to Store English Peas English peas can be stored in a loose bag or container in the refrigerator for about five days. "If you shell the peas in advance, cook them within two days," says Welsh. Snow Peas Credit: Westend61 / GETTY IMAGES Snow peas can be consumed, pea-pod and all. The vegetable is part of the category of legumes known as mange-touts, or "eat all." Before eating, remove the tough string along the pod side. "A paring knife allows you to hook onto and peel back the fibrous string that runs along the pod’s seam," says Welsh. When shopping for fresh snow peas, look for very small, flat seeds in flat, shiny pods that are 2 to 3 inches long. How to Cook With Snow Peas The tiny, just-forming peas can be eaten raw, as you might for crudité. "Though, like with all peas, they are sweeter when quickly blanched or sautéed," says Welsh. Snow peas are excellent when used in stir-fried dishes. How to Store Snow Peas Snow peas can be stored in a sealable container for up to a week, but if you're not going to use them in that time frame, it's best to freeze them. First, blanch the peas for one to two minutes in a pot of boiling water, then shock them in cold water. Drain them, then place the peas in an air-tight bag and freeze. Sugar Snap Peas Credit: bhofack2 / GETTY IMAGES The newest of the group since the 1970s, sugar snap peas are also known as snap peas. They're a hybrid, developed by a plant breeder who wanted a pea that could be eaten raw or cooked. "Sugar snap peas have sturdier, thicker pods than snow peas," says Welsh. "The pods are 2 to 3 inches long and need to be trimmed and stripped of the tough string that runs along the seam of the shorter side." If snap peas are big and tough, shell them and cook the peas separately as you would English peas. When buying them fresh, look for pods with no nicks or bruises. How to Cook With Sugar Snap Peas Sugar snap peas have plump pods that are crisp, sweet, and just right for snacking on raw or serving with dip as crudités. They are also excellent simmered, steamed, or sautéed briefly, just until they turn bright green. How to Store Sugar Snap Peas Uncooked fresh sugar snap peas should be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep cooked sugar snap peas in a sealed container where they will stay good for about one day. Credit: bhofack2 / GETTY IMAGES Pea Shoots Pea shoots, or pea tendrils are the edible stems, leaves, and curly tendrils of pea plants. Their delicate texture and subtle flavor make them worth snapping up at the market or snipping from the garden. "The leaves can range in size, depending on when they are picked," says Welsh. How to Cook With Pea Shoots Eat pea shoots in a variety of ways. "I like to eat pea shoots raw, sometimes tossed with a little oil and a pinch of salt," says Welsh. "Their stems give a little crunch and taste mildly of celery." Serve them fresh in salads or add them to a sandwich for extra texture. "You can also sauté or stir fry pea shoots for a minute, seasoning them lightly with garlic or sesame oil," says Welsh. How to Store Pea Shoots Do not let fresh pea shoots sit too long before using them. Fresher shoots are crunchier. "Once picked, wrap in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator, but just for a day or so," says Renee Pottle, creator of Seed to Pantry. "Pea shoots are best eaten fresh." When to Pick Fresh Peas All peas develop sweetness as they mature. However, bigger peas are not always better. If peas are left on the plant for too long, the sugars convert into starches, making the peas fibrous and tough with a less sweet flavor. This means it's best to cook with recently picked fresh, young peas. Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Vegetables Sources decorvow is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Snow Peas and Snap Peas. Grace Foundation/FoodPrint.org.