Peas and Fava Beans are grouped together because they are both cold hardy and can be planted as early as the ground can be worked in the spring. One of the best crops for garden snacking, snap and snow peas have edible pods. Shell peas develop a waxy coating inside the pod, and are for harvesting when the peas are fully plump but still green. Soup and dry peas are grown to full seed maturity and harvested dry, for winter soups and recipes. Fava beans can be shelled and eaten when the beans are fresh, or left to dry in their pods for use as a dry bean.
