The perfect way to grow your own food without a garden, house or even outdoor privileges. All you need is a windowsill to grow some microgreen pea sprouts.
That's right. Even if you're in a prison cell, as long as that cell has a window, you can grow pea shoots.
Pea shoots are the MOST delicious little tendrils you'll ever try. And the greatest thing about them is they taste exactly like raw peas. So if you're like me and have never actually eaten a cooked pea because they never make it to a pot, pea shoots are going to be your new favourite thing.
Pea shoots grow in a couple of weeks. All you need is a sunny windowsill.
(my windowsill is only kind of sunny and it still works great)
Don't worry about getting official pea seeds. Just buy a box of dried "marrow peas" in the grocery store. But don't buy the ones I just linked to. They're way too expensive. It's much cheaper to get them in the grocery store.
I bet you didn't even know you could find a box of dried pea seeds in your grocery store. You can. You'll find them in the canned vegetable aisle (even though they're in a box.)
It's way cheaper and easier to buy them this way rather than buying regular pea seeds.
INSTRUCTIONS
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
- Fill a pot with soil.
- Just push the seeds into the soil until they're about the same depth as the seed itself.
- Be generous with the amount you plant. You can fill the whole surface of the pot.
- Keep the seeds watered and within 2 weeks you'll have sprouts big enough to eat.
- To harvest, pinch the shoot off, do not pull it out. Another shoot will grow from the same seed.
- Continue to pinch and eat until the shoots stop producing or you get sick of pea shoots on your salad.
You can start pinching off the shoots once they get about this size.
** Don't pull them out, pinch them off, because they'll grow another shoot from the same root. **
The shoots can also grow longer so they have pretty little tendrils.
How to Use Pea Shoots
- In salads
- As a topping on stew
- In soups
- Stir fry (with the larger shoots)
All you need is a pot, soil, pea seeds and a windowsill. They'll keep you fed and entertained for 25 years to life.
Toby Fouks
YES! YES! YES! I want to do this. From what I can tell [thanks Google] the Bulk Barn [across the water in Duncan] should carry them - but - how would they be different from a package of seeds to plant peas? I am definitely going to grow pea shoots as soon as I get to Duncan. Thank you for this.
Marilyn
Package of seeds ... very expensive, and likely treated with some sort of antifungal dust. Don't want to eat those. I order clean sprouting peas from Mumm's in Canada.
The pea variety I sprout is Dwarf Grey Sugar Peas. I use 10/20 trays, one with holes placed in one without holes.
Best potting mix for everything is large size compressed bale of Promix BX with Micorhyze (sp?). Fairly pricey, worth every cent.
Mary W
I admit (proudly) that I don't get any sugar snap peas actually into the house. Or did, until I quit gardening. I've never tasted a pea shoots but after your description, that will end very soon. I can't believe pea shoot nirvana is waiting for me. I also eat frozen baby green peas like ice cream. The flavor is good, love the crunch, and a cup full is way more than satisfying late at night when I get the munchies. Got my grandkids hooked now, too. Actually my dog sits next to me waiting for her spoonful, too. She chases them around the floor as they bounce off my spoon. Thank you so much for this as a full fledged garden is no longer my thing. You are the BEST!
Karen
I have a bunch of peas started but they should be outside and growing already so I'm not sure how they'll do this year. HOPEFULLY I'll get at least a handful. :) ~ karen!
Kat - the other 1
I've always (on the odd occasion I can get peas planted, growing, and making peas) grown the edible pod kind - no shelling = less work! Lol - but I've been reading up on some peas and supposedly shelling peas are sweeter / better tasting (than what?)?
Now I'm curious. Anyone growing both have some insight to share?
Karen
Probably better tasting than a snow pea. A pea that you don't remove from their shell to eat. :) ~ karen!
Elissa Burda
Wowweee! I grew the marrow pea shoots! They are fantastic! Mind you, this is from a person who can't even grow air plants. Truly, I tried them. Killed them all. Didn't mean to.
I was so excited that the pea shoots grew successfully, that I started an Icloud photo sharing thing with my family and extended family (we live in the midwest and western US so we do this a lot) and, everyone joined my Marrow Pea Shoot experiment and were very supportive and happy that they grew. And no one was rude enough to point out that I called them Mallow Pea Shoot Experiment.
And they taste great! And now I have to grow more because, when I was at work yesterday, my cats ate them.
Microgreen on !
Karen
LOL. I'm happy you grew and shared your "mallow pea shoots"! They're delicious aren't they? Now that you have them figured out maybe you can graduate to actually, full grown peas! ~ karen!
Victoria
Pea shoots are the best!
Here's what you do: put them on a ham and cheese sandwich. AMAZING.
And then here's what you do: mix them into some mac n cheese. Yup! MORE AMAZING!
Silly me, I've been stalking the tables at the farmer's market to get these yummies in the springtime, when I could have just grown my own.
Karen
I have a pot of these growing on my windowsill and they look so pretty... Especially looking at the snowstorm on the other side of the glass. I wish I could attach a picture to this comment!
What I really like about this is you don't have to worry about mould like you do with other homegrown sprouts.
Karen
You could attach a picture and note about them to my facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Doing-Stuff/362703487505 ~ karen!
JMC
Two things to share. #1. My friend's exception son Evan asked me for some peas with his dinner the other night. I agreed quickly, I believe all requests for vegetables from children should be met before they change their minds, and told him it would be a little bit to heat them up. Here is where the exceptional part comes in, Evan said no thank you he wanted them frozen. Think about it... yes as good, maybe even better, than you thought. #2. Next time you are across the border in TJ's pick up the Chicken Shu Mai in the frozen appetizer area - you will curse me.
JMC
RE #1 He is exceptionAL not an exception sheesh.
WIldThing
All of this looks great! Has anyone tried this with celery seeds? I love celery sprouts! I am thinking of making a little mixed sprouts garden in my kitchen. We love sunflower sprouts (haven't tried peas yet, but I will) but they cost a fortune and go bad quickly. THANKS!
Jan in Waterdown
Have you ever had radish sprouts? I've never grown them but have tasted them and they are delish! Maybe you could add those to your mixed garden too. Sounds yummy!
Meghan
You know what else is amazing?? Sunflower sprouts! gotta track down raw, untreated (of course) sunflower seeds (can probably get some at the Bulk Barn I would think). They taste like sunflower seeds but green and crispy and lovely!!
Karen
That does sound good! ~ karen!
Dominic
Do you have to have dirt? Or do you need dirt so you can just keep re-growing from the same sprout? I sprout barley for my chickens, with no dirt. Now I want to grow pea sprouts with no dirt...
Karen
Hi Dominic. The pea shoots do need dirt. When you use the other method, that you would use for barley or alfalfa sprouts the shoots sprout but don't grow into green shoots like this. If all you want are pea sprouts it will absolutely work (I've done it) but if you want the nice big green things like you see here you need soil. ~ karen!
Mindy
They're beautiful. They really are. But tomorrow is a big game for college football in Oregon. Huge. I have two jalapeno popper cheese balls in the fridge. They're rolled in bacon. Do you know what I did with the bacon grease? Made a vat of homemade mac n cheese. The rest is in a jar in the fridge. Also, there will be brie with homemade persimmon chutney. And that's just what I'M contributing. So I'm gonna eat my weight in dairy products and carbs. I figure gardening season is just around the corner. I can work it off then.
Bonnie
Dear Karen,
I used to enjoy your blog daily, then my homepage was discontinued by the company, and I didn't know what homepage to use wherewith I could add your blog. I missed you, but I was so busy with work and helping my son fight leukemia, that I didn't take the time to figure it out. So, this weekend, I finally sat down and got it worked out. I am so happy to have you back in my life. Although I most often just intend to do the things that you talk about (like pinning things on Pinterest ad infinitum), I enjoy your blog more than feel guilty.
So, welcome back. I have missed you. I really do want to turn my front yard into a vegetable garden,, and I will do that someday...
Bonnie
Karen
Welcome back Bonnie! I read you had a good Christmas and your son had a good time. That's great. As luck would have it I'm *just* working on two possible live, video workshops. One of them is a 2 day workshop on making this the year you Get STUFF done! And the other is Seed Starting for your garden. :) ~ karen!
Bonnie
How sweet you responded to me and know who I am! I am so touched.
Tara
Oh, yum, I love marrow peas, and the pea shoots sound so yummy! They are a bit difficult to find in the U.S. I'll definitely be out looking for some this week!
Dana
I was SO excited to read this. I'd always figured 1 pea would make one pea shoot, and that seemed a little pointless. But if they grow back when you cut them, that changes everything!
Here is my favorite recipe for pea sprouts:
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/carrot-recipes/newfangled-peas-carrots
Karen
That recipe looks great! Thanks Dana. ~ karen!
Becky
I love fresh peas from the garden.. so now I'm going to have to try this.
However, even the name mushy peas makes me think of pea soup my Mom makes that looks and tastes similar to wall paste.
yuck
Janet
Unfortunately it is supposed to get up to about 77 degrees, Fahrenheit, by Monday, I am kind of afraid it might burn the new sprouts...did spring already come and go? I better get out there and plant some tomorrow. Never looked for dry marrow peas...never heard of them so it will be interesting to see if we can find that. I have realized the muffin top gained some frosting so I need to start eating tendrils of something, and quick. Thanks for the kickstart!
Jan in Waterdown
OK you cannot use the words "unfortunately" and "77 degrees" in the same freekin' sentence and expect to get away with it! Don't make me come down there and slap ya! Assuming you are south . . . hmmmmm, maybe a road trip right now would be nice . . .
Nancy Blue Moon
Yummy..I want these in my next salad..the long version..Thanks!
Patti H
Sounds like something to try with kids. I love raw peas.
Thanks for the info on using kraft paper. I may change up my photo shot with a new-to-me background.
Sandra
I tasted mushy peas a couple of years ago (and liked 'em). I bought a can from a Brit shop here in Calgary, but still haven't opened them. Not sure why. Guess I'm waiting to invite my English friend over for dinner (she's the one who introduced me to them, though she did NOT use a can)!
I like this idea and will be buying some dried peas when shopping today. Thanks!
Manisha
I had a CSA share for seven years and every spring we would get pea shoots. I admit I did not like them until this last year when I found a recipe for pea vine pesto. Now I LOVE them. But I'm not going to get another farm share this year SO I'm super excited to try growing my own. Thanks, Karen!
Elen G
I'm so trying this. Nice shots, Karen!