How do you shell your peas?

Or should I perhaps ask, “Where?”  

Do your fresh, sweet shelling peas make it from the garden to the house, or are the vast majority of them consumed straight off of the vine?!

As we were picking from our last crop of peas today I overheard the children arguing about the best way to shell peas.

“You have to zip it open, then pull it apart.”

“I just break it.  That’s faster.”

And then I heard what I knew I was destined to hear…

CRUNCH!

Yep.  That arguing of course resulted in shelled peas, which of course NEEDED to be consumed right from the pod because they just look so fresh and delicious that once they’re shelled it’s hard to wait any longer to eat them!

This show of pea-shelling-superiority quickly degraded into a pea-consuming-fest.  

Quickly realizing what was about to happen when I later noticed how few peas were in their basket, oldest daughter in attendance at said pea fest queried, 

“Is it OK if we eat some?”

How could I say, “No?”  I was just as guilty as they were!

A pea shelling and eating contest ensued…3 pods had to be shelled and eaten in the shortest time.  The contest was repeated multiple times for a “best of 3…or 4…or however many.”

We did end up bringing something back to the house to throw into our salad tonight, thankfully…