Available in winter from December

Green peas are available in winter from December till April. Mature seeds, split and dried green peas are available all the year round. Peas are sold either in fresh, frozen and canned form. When shopping for green peas, choose fresh, firm pods which are full, heavy in hands and brimming with seeds. They should have a velvety and smooth skin and their color should be a lively medium green. Avoid wrinkled, over matured or yellow colored pods. They should not be puffy, water soaked or have a mildew residue. Ensure that the pods have peas of sufficient number and size; and there is not much empty space in the pod. You can check this by gently shaking the pod and noticing if there is a slight rattling sound. Unlike green peas, snow peas have flat pods. When purchasing snow peas, you can see the shape of the peas through the nonopaque shiny pod.