To Pea or not to Pea

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Could anyone tell me please, is it best to put peas in at the beginning of cooking a stew or towards the end? (Slow cooker)

It’s best not to put them in at all.

If you really must, they don’t need much cooking. I wouldn’t cook peas for 2 hours.

No direct experience (I'm not a huge slow cooker fan), but - my cook's instinct says right at the end, if they're fresh or frozen peas. They'll go like mealy bullets if you cook them for too long.

However, if they are dried or split peas, put them in right at the start, so they have a chance to melt down nicely.

Green peas, not split peas or lentils?

Right at the end. If they're defrosted they only need a wee swirl to heat them through.

If you are making Pea and Ham soup, put in a tin of processed or mushy peas.

I did dried lentils in the SC at the weekend and they were still like stones after a day (and that was with presoaking them overnight)

Tinned all the way for pulses or frozen peas - nuke them and stir them through. They will still be green then.

Thank you. I decided against peas, purely because I couldn't be arsed with the kids whinging about having to pick them out.