Peas please (in NYC)

January 24, 2007 4:49 PM

In NYC, where can I buy FRESH SHELLED peas? (Not the sprouted peas from Sproutman.) On the A or 2/3 would be great, but I'd love to hear about any possibilities anywhere in the five boroughs.
posted by lorimer to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

now? or generally?
posted by alkupe at 5:02 PM on January 24, 2007

Response by poster: Good question -- I'm hoping to find a year-round source because I love the things & buying shelled is one of my few grocery-luxuries.

I once saw them in Strawberry Fields on Bleecker, but then they went away (and I live nowhere near there anyway).
posted by lorimer at 5:05 PM on January 24, 2007

I've found them at several small fruit/vegetable stores--not supermarkets but little bodega-ish places--in Park Slope and Cobble Hill. They're packaged in shallow styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic. You wouldn't expect such stores to have them when big supermarkets never seem to, but it's worth a look if there are any similar places on your route.
posted by staggernation at 5:41 PM on January 24, 2007

Y'know, if you have a small patio or terrace or fire escape or roof garden at your aparatment, you can grow them in NYC (zone 6) in April/May/early June and then again in September/October. Peas grow just fine in pots, as long as they're not too crowded, get lots of water, and have something to climb up. If you want shelling peas, I planted these last year (though not in pots) and really liked them a lot -- very big and sweet, best eaten within 24 hours of picking.
posted by Asparagirl at 7:23 PM on January 24, 2007

You can probably get Sugar Snap Peas at Chinese grocers. They won't be shelled, but they are pretty much the kind of pea that you would shell, if you were so inclined (unlike Snow Peas).
posted by Chuckles at 7:25 PM on January 24, 2007

Have you tried FreshDirect? Or you might find them at the Union Square Farmers Market.

PS - I do lament the closure of Strawberry Fields. As much as it was a little bit unkempt, it was very convenient, well stocked, with friendly staff and reasonable prices... The whole neighborhood is going the way of Rodeo Drive. If they were dead, Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan would be spinning in their graves.
posted by DannyUKNYC at 12:32 AM on January 25, 2007

Response by poster: Danny, that is sad news -- I just meant the peas went away (I didn't know Strawberry Fields itself went away). I'm afraid to go look & see what replaced it...

Thanks for the seed link, Asparagirl -- I might be able to do that! It wouldn't save me the shelling labor (and it would mean other labor), but it would be very cool & very cheap.

And FreshDirect is a good thought, but they don't have shelled peas. I will try looking at all the likely stands at the USq market.
posted by lorimer at 4:49 AM on January 25, 2007

what you want is english peas in the shell. its really not much work to shell them. sugar snap are ok i guess, but the real nice peas are english peas.
Here's the thing though--they're really a spring vegetable. Starting in pretty early spring they're available from california, then you can get them through probably June. Other than that, you're gonna have a hard time finding them and they won't be that good. I recommend going seasonal--you'll appreciate the hell out of them while they're around.
Another spring vegetable i highly recommend is fava beans.
posted by alkupe at 8:07 AM on January 25, 2007

Believe it or not, frozen veggies are fresher than anything you don't shell yourself. These days. they're picked and, within a few minutes, shelled and flash-frozen.

According to a NY Times article a year or so back, brand-name and store brand items are identical. Buy them in soft plastic bags, making sure they aren't sticking together inside the bag, which means they've been thawed and re-frozen.

My wife grew up on a farm, and she swears they're as good as the ones she picked herself. They're certainly as good as the ones I get at the greenmarkets in the summer.
posted by KRS at 11:58 AM on January 26, 2007