Where can I buy 2-4 lbs of marrowfat peas in the GTA?
Made the peas yesterday and ate some today. I used approx 1/2 of the one lb bag. I added about 2 table spoons of baking soda and let them sit over night. Then I prepared them as per the instructions on the imported box. As far as I can tell they were the same in taste and texture. Looking into Marrowfats I find that they appear to be not a special type of pea but peas that have been left to dry on the plant until long after they would have been picked. So in round numbers you get about twice the amount of peas as the imported box for $1. as opposed to about $1.89. Nickels and dimes really--its only peas. But if you go past the coffee store it seems a good deal.
I was surprised to find they have contests in England for the best prepared and they are a special meal in some parts to celebrate Guy Faulkes Day.
I really am wondering if these peas have a doppelganger, because these brown peas are usually much larger than a regular pea and brown. In Toronto I buy them dry by the package at the Holland Store (2542 Weston Rd), as Dutch people also really enjoy them and import them. However, I just checked today and their order isn't in yet.
We Latvians eat them for Christmas in a bacon and onion sauce. You can't eat a lot as they are very filling, but they have a very specific earthy flavour.
I've grown Marrowfat peas (variety medullare) the last couple of years. They are starchier and larger than the regular sweet peas (Laxton, Lincoln, Little Marvel) and different from green split peas or snap peas. They do loose a lot of their green when dry, turning kinda greeny beige-y brown. Not that great eating fresh since they aren't as sweet as a regular pea, but they dry and store very well and make great mushy peas.
Here is an interesting pea name cross reference that will make your head spin:
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/...
Could you post your Latvian Christmas Pea recipe here or in Home Cooking section ? It sounds similar to a Lima bean dish my wife's family loves to eat over the holidays.
Seeds of Diversity is an invaluable resource for finding ANY seed available in Canada. Worthy of a donation or membership :
However, do a germination test with some of the marrowfat peas you already have. Place some peas between two sheets of damp paper towel, keep damp, and wait a week or so - just like Grade School !! They germinate cool so keep them in a cool place. Plant in mid April if they are good and save your own seed for following years.
BTW, I've started pre-sprouting all peas and beans. Saves a lot of replanting.
Hope the Mods will let me post this. I promise if there is more discussion about growing them, I'll start a thread in Gardening.
Test maybe 15-20 if you have enough peas. Sometimes germination may be less than 50%.
Pre-sprout just like a germination test in early April, then plant the peas that have started to grow.
Harvest all your peas when mature (that's a little bit of a judgement call), shuck, and let pea's dry on a wire grate, turning occasionally. Use your new dry peas for cooking but save some of the nicest peas to pre-sprout and plant the following spring.
Nothing to it !
It looks like there is some confusion. To find the kind of brownish marrowfat peas they eat in Latvia, do a search for "Kapucijners." That's their Dutch name, and they're very popular in Holland. You'll have a better chance finding them on Dutch food import sites. I've been craving them myself lately.
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