Sweet Garden Peas and Southern Peas - anyone grow both?

[applestar]

I'm getting really good results from sweet garden peas, but they are winding down. I was going to plant fall peas, but according to Rutger's NJ Ag Extension articles, peas do better in the spring in NJ. So I'm hesitant, though I did buy Wando, which is supposed to do well in fall, but maybe not in NJ....

I do have some California Blackeyed #5 Southernpeas growing, but I've never grown them before. Are they *like* sweet garden peas? Most of them, my kids are eating uncooked -- I just rinse and leave in the colander with the berries and they disappear. But I'm finding that some of the spring peas I grew are good eating only after cooking. Are the southern peas similar? I.e. starchy fresh, tender and yummy cooked when eaten green? 75 days... I think I have time to plant some more (mid-Oct first frost) -- better that than Wando?

Do you typically cook and can your southern peas or blanch and freeze?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Down here we cook the junk out of everything! they freeze well after blanching. IMO, they can well. And that's what I prefer. You can raw pack them after they have been shelled. They take less cooking time to get that starchiness gone. You can also pick them when they are still young "snaps" and cook them like green beans. Yummy :d