Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center

Vegetable Research and Extension

Photo collage of watermelon, dry beans, and tractor

Table 3 – Pea Vines

Table 3. Summary of pea vine visual evaluations, where 1 is highest and 12 is lowest, on June 16 by a panel of chefs, and July 16 by a small group of WSU Extension Agents who work with Indochinese farmers.

Variety & Type Date Comments
Ranking
Snowflake
snow
6/16 compact form 3
7/16 good large leaves, all the way to the terminals; tops look tender; tender stems (may be hard to bunch if stems break); fewer tendrils 1
Super Sugar Snap snap 6/16 too leggy 10
7/16 too leggy unacceptable
HN 412
yellow split
6/16 light, sweet, woody stem 7
7/16 too leggy; tough; no flowers unacceptable
Tom Laxton
shell
6/16 none 12
7/16 small leaves; looks overmature; could be acceptable if harvested earlier 6
Oregon Sugar Pod II
snow
6/16 wilts quickly 9
7/16 big leaves; leafy; tender looking; blooms look attractive; pea pods also a market (dual crop?) 2
Oregon Giant
snow
6/16 grassy flavor 11
7/16 a little leggy; nice leaves, compact and large; tendrils (garnish); tender stems, but a little tough 3/4
Aladdin
AF, yellow split
6/16 earthy flavor; many tendrils (garnish) 2
7/16 too many tendrils unacceptable
Rex
yellow split
6/16 none 5
7/16 small leaves, short; wilts unacceptable
Cascadia
snap
6/16 too leggy; woody; beautiful leaves and shape 6
7/16 big leaves; vines and pods look tender longer; more tendrils (garnish); could be 3 due to pods (dual purpose) 3/4
Phantom
AF, marrowfats
6/16 tough 4
7/16 tendrils (garnish) garnish
PRO 2100
shell
6/16 Strong; almost unpleasant aftertaste; fibrous and tough; small leaves; scraggly 8
7/16 very leggy; small leaves; does not look as good as others; bundles well 5
General Comments Remove tendrils before cooking/preparing pea vines as a vegetable; Taiwanese saying: "tendrils tie your tongue"
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