For years after they were first marketed in 1976 I grew only Sugar Snap peas. They were sweet, needed no shucking, and made a perfect snack — not to mention great farmer’s market sales. But they don’t freeze worth a damn, so when the season’s done, you’re done. And Sugar Snaps in the grocery store aren’t worth a bucket of warm spit.

The answer is to grow English (or garden) peas again. Shucking peas is not what you call heavy labor, and the results freeze perfectly. Heat them in a strainer in boiling water for 2 minutes, dump into icy-cold water to stop the cooking, and pack them into airtight freezer bags (marked with a date). You get summer in mid-winter.