My Tiny PlotCrunchy and Sweet Mangetout
One of the easiest vegetables to grow is Mangetout. It’s also one of those vegetables that, if you grow it yourself, will taste completely different than anything you will buy at the supermarket. There’s no hint of bitterness or aftertaste which can be the downfall of shop-bought Mangetout. I think it tastes almost exactly as sweet as freshly podded Peas but has the advantage of being bigger and crunchier than a bowl of Peas.
Brilliant with fresh humous. At this time of year you’ll be harvesting at least a bowlful everyday from a modest clutch of plants. I wouldn’t be without it. Next year, I need a taller support though. I always forget how big the plants are and they end up trailing on the ground after they have scaled my woefully inadequate Pea-sticks.
And ridiculously overpriced at the shops I find!
PS. I’m so jealous you have a blog like this.
They look tasty. I must grow some next year!
I agree, they are delicious freshly picked and raw – and as the other poster said, ridiculously overpriced at the store! I never knew they were so easy to grow. Do they vine all over the place like regular peas, or are they more contained?
I am growing mangetout and sugarsnaps for the first time. But I’m a bit perplexed by how much support to provide. What height do you think would be ideal?
Been trying to grow these for a few years now without joy. I think it was to do with the poor soil in my last garden. This year, I did them in raised beds and they’ve been such a success. I went through a glut and now the plants are out of steam. Note to self: successional sow next year for longer period of yumminess!
Completely agree at how wonderful they taste – the sweetness makes them a great adage to salads. Mine don’t normally make it off the veg plot – I normally eat them before i get to the house! I have found them relatively easy to grow – they just need loads of water.
I normally grow them up 6ft bamboo canes and tie in as I go.
MMMM, We’ve been really enjoying these this year. They’re so much better than store bought for sure!
I like them lightly steamed and drizzled with some olive oil and tamari.
Mine are trailing too, but on my allotment I’ve seen how to do it perfectly. You plant them in a long line and stick pea sticks in all the way along for them to grow up (they are after all only underipe peas) and then run string or netting down either side to keep them in place and growing up the sticks. Single sticks (as for runner beans for instance) simply don’t work. Oh and the sticks need to be about 3 ft high.
I was thinking about growing these, but decided against it maybe I get some seeds and grow some next year. I am growing (Victoria) plums which are doing really well a few potatoes, lettuce, ralishes, blackcurrants, and lots of redcurrants, some white currants and flowers.
Stateside we call them snow peas-one assumes because they are late winter/early spring plants. We absolutely cannot grow them in the South in summer. Yours are beautiful. We stand in the garden and snack on them. They require no attention but regular rain. They are so sweet it’s like eating candy.
I am growing sugarsnap peas and they are doing really well.
The type I have only grow to 60cm so they are easy to tie up with relatively small canes (I would give the name but I’m in Austria so I doubt you’ll get the same kind in UK).
The only problem I have had is that the birds snapped them off at the base when they first started growing. I put some white fleece netting type stuff round them and they have done great ever since.
I harvested a load yesterday and chucked them in a salad. We were having a BBQ and most of the salad was our own stuff (toms, cucumber, carrots, spring onions and the peas). Had to use shop bought lettuce as we’ve eaten the first lot, and the next lot aren’t quite ready (need better planning next year!), but we did have our own new potatoes. We also had our own courgettes grilled. We have run out of our own mushrooms which we normally grill too, so we need to get a new set of those (the grow-your-own sets, which are fantastic if you’ve never tried them. Soooo easy!!). It was brilliant.
Who could ask for more???
Hi Leafy – it depends which variety you’re growing but I’d suggest at least one metre hight supports. Bigger if you can. It just makes it easier to pick them.
Looking forward to harvesting mine next month! yum… yours look delicious!x
My mangetout have gone wild with all the rain we’ve been having. I’ve had to tie them up with some large stakes and rope to stop them training all over the path. I’m guessing they would have easily reached the top of 2 a metre high support.
Anyone ever made pickled mangetout? I’m tempted to try as we have a lot to get through and there is only so much space in the freezer.
I have two plants this year, I think it’s something easy to grow and delicious and much cheaper and easier to have it in the garden.
I will also have to remember about the larger stakes as I’m pinching them out to keep the plants at 5ft tall specially with the strong wind on the last weeks that almost kills one of the plants!
With two plants I’m not having a bowl every day, maybe once a week.
Hi I have been growing mange tout and gathering a good crop but the plants are now looking shabby. What have I done wrong or is this normal? What should I do, do I need to cut down? I do have more plants growing to replace. Thanks Sandra