Our pea patch yielded a few peas yesterday. I had to laugh at how the boys fought over them to shell. COUNTING them, even, to make sure no one was jipped. Lol!
I smile when I think of how different our garden is from what Mom used to have. And how different my boys’ experiences are than mine.
Mom had everything from cabbage and beats to eggplants and radishes. Each vegetable had it’s harvest time. Peas usually “came in” around the week school was leaving out. Since we planted five pounds of peas, it was a busy time.
Mom would go out long before we were out of bed and pick several rows of peas. By the time our sleepy heads peaked outside, there were several ACME bags of peas on the porch for us to shell. Complete with bowls at the ready.
And she would be back in the garden, going over more rows.
My brother and I would sit on the porch fighting over whether each other had taken enough. Heaven forbid we should have more peas in our pile than the other.
We would race to see who could shell the fastest, not looking up. But noting our progress by comparing the tempo of shells hitting the bag.
Inevitably there would be pea wars. To see who could bean the other in head the hardest.
As lunchtime neared, the peas in our bowls became our snack.
By noon, the porch and patio were littered with peas and hulls and looked like a war zone. Which it had, indeed, been.
It’s a wonder we were able to contribute any to the big bowls for blanching and freezing. On average, she would freeze about 55 pint size bags. And they would “melt in your mouth,” as she would say.
Mom’s garden was our source of vegetables for the entire year. She worked very hard.
Our garden is more of a hobby. We enjoy it for the season, but usually don’t have enough for putting up. But with the economy such as it is, I’d like to do that this year. Not with the peas. But with our tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
So, what did we do with our precious few peas last night? You’ll have to wait to see. :)
If you have any freezing or canning recipes, I’d love to see them!
5 comments:
I found you through Mari's blog. I especially love the title of your blog. Just yesterday I was sitting at the computer just writing at random why we're homeschooling, what we/I desire for our daughter and son, 9 and 6 1/2 respectively, and the verse you have really fits.
I also want to comment on your garden! Mmmm, the peas, especially fresh, sounded so deliciousl I grew up in Montana, and my Mom and Dad always had a gigantic garden complete with, yes....eggplant as well. I think I was the only child in the state who knew what it was AND liked it. Four if you include all of us kids.
Blessings on your wonderful journey as a daughter of the Lord, Mother and Wife! In Him-Kathy
Fresh peas are sooooo yummy.
LOL - - - if you gardened like our parents did, to provide veggies for the winter - - - your boys would probably also lose the "joy" of shelling peas!!!
:-)
I wish I would have had those kind of experiences with vegetables when I was growing up. What a special treat.
Love the pea counting! We are growing cherry tomatoes in a container on our back patio and the girls make sure they each are able to pick the same amount of ripe ones (which is only one apiece some days!)
This post was so much fun to read! Both the tale of the current pea harvest and the memories of your growing-up years. The part about your son counting and averaging especially made me smile. He must admire his dad a lot. ; )
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