Jaerert pea

[Jang]

A quick report on this Norwegian pea.
It has grown to about 1.5m and produced prolifically. It is sweet and tasty. The pods and peas are surprisingly tiny.
An aspect which interests me is the background and history. It is now protected by Arca del Gusto who give a detailed account at https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/e...n-pea-jaerert/
As it was omitted from accounts of growing in the region of Jaeren after which it is named it’s assumed it was a low status food and in fact it almost died out by the 1950s but was kept going by a single dedicated grower.
What strikes me in this context is how small the yield is for the time taken to pick and pod the peas as they are so small. As mangetout or snap they seem to give a more feasible and worthwhile harvest but as podded peas they seem likely to have been the food of the desperate, the dedicated or those with plenty of time! In fact, as it’s thought that they were harvested with the corn they were grown with, it seems that they were probably most often used as dried peas.
The photos show the Jaerert pods by medium sized pea pods.

[triffid]

Great photos, what is the actual size of those pods?
More and more I have reason to wonder whether Jaerart is a very primitive pea - or remains relatively unchanged from its uncultivated ancestors.
The seeds and pods are remarkably small, seeds perfectly spherical, and despite being a tall type the foliage is comparatively diminutive, definitely the daintiest of all the peas growing this year.
Yes, the flowers are white which is usually an indicator of selection for human consumption, but it has all of the hallmarks of primitive field and fodder pea. It would appear not many of its stewards bothered to select for size, production or popular culinary traits.
It certainly is unique, and thanks to Mr. Time (great name) for saving it. By the way, where did you source your seed Jang? Was it Nordgen?

[Jang]

You're growing Jaerert too I gather?
The pods reach no more than two inches. It has the sweetness which tends to go with white flowers but I agree that it seems to have primitive and fairly unselected characteristics, which the history would also suggest.

Yes, my seed came from Nordgen

[triffid]

I am, seed also from Nordgen. But growing only a few and I've got them in our back courtyard - heavy shade - and they're not very happy.

[Jang]

I hope they make the best of it and produce for you. I have a smallish number too, six or eight plants perhaps..

[Jang]