The Best Ways to Store and Use Fresh Spring Peas and Beans

Legumes are in abundance at this time of year!

They're not only refreshing, delicious and texturally unparalleled; peas and beans are very versatile vegetables to have in ones fridge.

Snow peas are best enjoyed eaten with the pod intact - they're delicious as is or in a salad, lightly stir fried, lightly steamed or blanched.

The same goes for green beans - generally speaking, the less time over heat, the better. You can't really go wrong with snow peas and green beans, EXCEPT by overcooking them!

Podding peas and Broad beans can tolerate a bit more time over the flame (again, best not to overcook them!). Remove the peas/ beans from their pods and eat, cook or preserve them immediately.

Both podding peas and Broad beans are delightful steamed, fried or cooked into sauces. Podding peas are also excellent eaten raw, but Broad beans are best cooked - if you're feeling energetic, removing the pale skin from the Broad beans will make them much more tender and less astringent.

While they're easy to prepare and cook, peas and beans - like many spring crops - are quick to go soft, losing that crunchy textural appeal.

Our recommendation is to eat them quick smart (not a big ask really, given how delicious they are!), or store them unwashed in a sealed bag in the fridge.

Too much moisture (i.e. from washing) could cause them to go funky - in a not-so-good way! For longer term storage, blanching podded peas and Broad beans then freezing them in ziplock bags is the way to go.