I shell the peas and lay them out in a tray until they are dry. Then I'll put them in the freezer for a few hours to kill any bugs and seal in a jar. Much easier than canning.

If you have the freezer room and want to try them fresh, try blanching and freezing them. Growing up, I only ate them fresh. Now that I have tried fresh & dried, I like them both ways. They taste a bit different - I think the fresh is the best. To harvest them fresh, you want to let the pods fill out before you pick them. If you want snaps, pick some when they are real young and thin. After shelling them, blanch them, and then put in quart freezer bags and freeze. Around here, most folks like to grow them in the fall since there doesn't seem to be as many bugs. Hope this helps.

We prefer ours dried. We just let them dry on the vine. Thresh them out of the shells in a bag and store in sealed jars. They keep for a year with no problems and have plenty to replant the following year. Do the same with crowders and pink-eye purple hulls.

Dave