# I've never shelled a pea

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 3, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074 "2003-07-03T17:24:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/1 "2003-07-03T17:24:22Z")

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I’ve never shelled fresh peas. What am I missing? What do they look like unshelled–like sugar snap peas, or different? Better than frozen? Worth the trouble?

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**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/2 "2003-07-03T17:29:13Z")

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Have you ever been to Boston in the fall?

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**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/3 "2003-07-03T17:29:16Z")

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They look like larger, thicker versions of sugar snap peas. Sometimes they are called “English peas” to distinguish them. I find the supermarket ones aren’t appreciably better than most high-end frozend ones (the “petite” kind.) Shelling them is kind of fun, though, in its quiet way.

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**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/4 "2003-07-03T18:40:26Z")

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_We are the Pirates who …_

Damn you, **Ellen Cherry**. Now that will be stuck in my head for days.

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/5 "2003-07-03T19:21:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by cher3 \*  
> \*\*They look like larger, thicker versions of sugar snap peas. Sometimes they are called “English peas” to distinguish them. I find the supermarket ones aren’t appreciably better than most high-end frozend ones (the “petite” kind.) Shelling them is kind of fun, though, in its quiet way. \*\*

Absolutely correct. The ones in the supermarket have spent a couple of days, at least, getting there and waiting for you. They are stale. However, if you are fortunate enough to get one just-picked, they are much more crisp, sweet, and tender.

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**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-never-shelled-a-pea/186074/6 "2003-07-03T21:30:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by toadspittle \*  
> **I’ve never shelled fresh peas.**

My God! You haven’t lived! 😉