English peas have sweet peas inside a firm pod. Harvest mature pods when they are 3 to 4 inches in length and remove the shells before eating. Snap peas offer crisp, round pods with large peas inside.

Sow seeds in a cold frame in autumn or straight into the ground in spring, and you'll be eating sweet, tender peas straight from the pod all through the summer months. Peas come in two varieties ...