Settle this argument for us: is adding butter to vegetables and sugar to peas the norm?

[Snowstorm]

DH thinks it's normal and likes it every time vegetables are cooked - I think it's only for special occasions/dishes, if at all and prefer my veggies unadulterated (although I'll concede that some new potatoes benefit from a bit of butter).

What do you think/do?

Dont know about the sugar in peas, but butter in vegetables absolutely YES!
We mostly use olive oil now for health reasons, but its much nicer with butter, and if health was no consideration, everytime!

sugar on peasnever heard of that i do like butter in my mash or on baby potatoes

My dad makes lettuce sarnies for himself and puts sugar on them

We always used to have sugar on peas at my Grandma and Grandad's when we were kids. However, I don't think it was just sugar sprinkled on peas but they were cooked in it or something.

My grandad always called them 'windy peas' and he was right!

i have never done either (apart from potatoes)

No, it's not the norm

sugar and butter in peas a la francaise though

yum

I'm sure that this must have been said but why the feck would you put suagron peas - some kind of bizarre twist on toffee apples?!

Butter on new potatoes or anything mashed otherwise no.

dh's family add sugar to tinned tomatoes and put the resultant mess delight on toast
In fact dh's mum would add sugar to ALL veg (& indeed fruit) if she thought I wouldn't notice

How come no-one's mentioned butter on asparagus. Yummy yum yum.

putting sugar on peas isnt that weird

they are very sweet when first picked

that sugar turns to starch as they age

sugar puts back the original sweetness

oh yes deffo sugar with tinned toms

I put it in my pasta sauces always when I use tinned toms

aha, Enid, it has only taken 62 posts for someone else to confess to putting sugar in peas.

Agree Enid, it's probably more for older peas than frozen, they're really sweet as they are. Not unknown to put sugar on veg though, honeyed parsnips/carrots etc when roasting them.

I add sugar (or honey) to tinned tomatoes in a sauce (not if I use fresh tomatoes though).

Never to peas.

Occasionally tiny bit of honey on roast carrots.

Or mirin in leeks.

Butter on carrots/peas/spuds sometimes.

Sugar only to carrots not to peas. Butter only for Sunday lunch veggies - except for grated courgettes which only work with a tincy knob of butter.

No sugar, except with the tomatoes in a pasta sauce. Butter only with mash or very occasionally with new potatoes.

Hello to your DH!

I put a half teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt when I cook peas, sweetcorn, tomato sauce or asparagus.

I add a small teaspoon of butter to all my veg,a dn a bit of salt in the cooking water. It makes veggies a treat, rather than a chore.

Also, did you know that it is scientifically proven that your body absorbs Vitamin A from veg (eg carrots) MUCh better when they have a few drops of fat on them?

I am with Geek girl, who said that one small teaspoon of butter to a pan full of veg won´t give anyone a heartattack...

Fat as such sin´t bad for you, just don´t take too much. IMHO veg tastes better with a (tiny) bit of butter, and salad with a bit of olive oil.

Whole grain mustard in cabbage is another good one btw.

in this house:

no sugar or salt, ever. Have to dig sugar out of the depths of the cupboard for visitors. No butter for me or dh - a little on toast/mash for ds. Plain, dull - and healthy I guess!

My mum always adds sugar to peas and they taste lovely.

However, she also shakes salt over all freshly drained vegetables if I don't wrestle her to the floor first and cooks everything she can in a vat of goose fat.

A half teaspoon of sugar in peas is fine and dandy...

No sugar or butter.

As above just a bit of butter on Jackets.