How to get children to like vegetables
My son really disliked peas. The way to get him to finally after years of cajoling him try some and announce ‘Yum!’ was staightforward but long winded in the extreme. I had to sow peas, grow peas, stake the peas, have the children pick the peas, shell the peas and only then did he feel the urge to put one in his mouth.
Bit of a shame I didn’t plant acres of the things as this evening he asked ‘Where are the rest of the peas we picked?’ (I ate them with my dinner last night) cue lots of boo-hooing about how he didn’t know he liked peas and now he does he wants to eat more but they’ve all gone! I feel a trip to the greengrocer coming on.
What I don’t know is whether pea plants are like runner beans and keep on producing more pods the more one picks them (perhaps yes as that’s the theory with sweet pea flower crops) or once the harvest has been taken is that all there is from that plant (like potatoes). I recall that the packet of pea seeds instructed me to plant another row or two every few weeks so I would have a continuous crop which makes me think perhaps the latter is true.
Veg growing, it seems, is very much a lifelong process of learning.
[Update - I just found this which is helpful for those new to pea growing like me]
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_april_1b_pea.asp#Harvest%20peas
Harvesting Peas
Garden peas are best when slightly immature - when fully mature they become hard and loose the sweet taste. Harvesting them early also encourages them to produce more. As a guide, peas are normally ready for harvest three weeks after flowering. Peas quickly loose their flavour after harvesting, so pick them just before they are required for cooking.
The peas at the bottom of the plant will tend to be ready first, so begin harvesting here, working up as time progresses. When the plant stops producing peas, cut the top of the plant off and leave the roots in the ground to compost for next year.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Hi Cathie,
I can’t believe I’m delurking again so soon! But I just had to comment on the subject of peas. We decided to grow a few peas in tubs, and the result has been good, I wasn’t sure exactly how they grew ( I do find I need step by step instructions) so many books etc seem to think we should just ‘know’ how these plants grow.
Anyway, my non veg loving kids have adored eating the peas fresh from the shell and are most upset I didn’t have the inspiration to plant in in stages so we could have a continuous supply (a bit miffed myself, as they were rather tasty)
Will definately grow lots more peas next year
On a note about growing veggies, we grew some salad (mixed seeds) and they ate the baby leaves quite happily, I was amazed!, I don’t know whether it was because they were involved in growing them or that they just tasted nice and sweet it probably a combination of the both.
Our biggest hit has had to have been our strawberries, I bought 6 plants from Aldi for £2.49, I noticed at some garden centres they were charging that just for one plant! same variety as well. - they taste so wonderful.
It has been a good experience growing food from seed/plants we still have runner beans and pototoes to harvest yet, but I’m already planning what I want to grow next year, with input from the kids of course.
I just love this blog as you don’t know what great tips will come next.
Phew this commenting/ delurking has just about exhausted me, didn’t mean to waffle on so much, only meant to agree about the peas..I just got carried away
CJ x
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
[...] the meat on your plate. Or vegetables for that matter (as Cathie points out on Becoming Domestic, the best way to get kids to like vegetables is to get them involved growing [...]