Sugar snap peas are cooked and eaten complete, with their pods. They freeze well and are useful to serve as a vegetable accompaniment or part of a stir-fry. Select crisp, bright green, plump pods. Avoid any that look greyish or shrivelled.

Top and tail. Blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and plunge in a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain again and dry on kitchen paper.

Spread out on a baking (cookie) sheet and freeze until firm, then pack in polythene bags, or pack in convenient quantities in polythene bags. Remove the air, seal, label and freeze. Storage time: 12 months.