Mrs Beetons Vegetables Revisited
Boiled Green Peas
Green Peas
To each 2˝lt (4 pints) Water allow:
1 tbsp (heaped) Salt
1 tsp Sugar
This delicious vegetable, to be eaten in perfection, should be young and not gathered or shelled long before it is dressed.
Shell the peas, wash well in cold water and drain them.
Put into a saucepan with plenty of fast boiling water, to which salt and sugar have been added.
Boil quickly over a medium to high heat, win an uncovered saucepan.
When tender, pour them into a colander.
Put into a hot vegetable dish place a piece of butter, the size of a walnut in the centre of the peas.
Many cooks boil a small bunch of mint with the peas, or garnish them with it.
Should the peas be very old and difficult to boil a good colour, a very tiny piece of bicarbonate of soda may be added in the water before to putting them in, but this must be very sparingly used, as it causes the peas, when boiled, to have a smashed and broken appearance.
With young peas, there is no need to use bicarbonate of soda.
Time: Young peas, 10 to 15 minutes. The large sorts, such as marrowfats, etc., 18 to 24 minutes. Old peas, ˝ hour.
Sufficient: Allow 1 peck of unshelled peas for 4 or 5 persons.
Seasonable from June to the end of August.
BOILED GREEN PEAS
1133. INGREDIENTS - Green peas; to each 1/2 gallon of water allow 1 small teaspoonful of moist sugar, 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt.
Mode - This delicious vegetable, to be eaten in perfection, should be young, and not gathered or shelled long before it is dressed. Shell the peas, wash them well in cold water, and drain them; then put them into a saucepan with plenty of fast-boiling water, to which salt and moist sugar have been added in the above proportion; let them boil quickly over a brisk fire, with the lid of the saucepan uncovered, and be careful that the smoke does not draw in. When tender, pour them into a colander; put them into a hot vegetable-dish, and quite in the centre of the peas place a piece of butter, the size of a walnut. Many cooks boil a small bunch of mint with the peas, or garnish them with it, by boiling a few sprigs in a saucepan by themselves. Should the peas be very old, and difficult to boil a good colour, a very tiny piece of soda may be thrown in the water previous to putting them in; but this must be very sparingly used, as it causes the peas, when boiled, to have a smashed and broken appearance. With young peas, there is not the slightest occasion to use it.
Time - Young peas, 10 to 15 minutes; the large sorts, such as marrowfats, &c., 18 to 24 minutes; old peas, 1/2 hour.
Average cost, when cheapest, 6d. per peck; when first in season, 1s. to 1s. 6d. per peck.
Sufficient - Allow 1 peck of unshelled peas for 4 or 5 persons.
Seasonable from June to the end of August.
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