Mushy Peas in the US?

Does anyone know how to make Mushy Peas in the US?  Do Marrowfat Peas exist here?  All the recipe's I've found online refer specifically to Marrowfat Peas, but I've never even heard of them before.

I think mushy peas taste a bit like split pea soup, probably this is because both are made with dried peas, albeit of different kinds.  Here's a link about marrowfat/mushy peas http://www.icons.org.uk/nom/nominations/mushy-peas

I really have no idea if they would be available in the US.  Maybe at a British import shop?

I think mushy peas taste a bit like split pea soup, probably this is because both are made with dried peas, albeit of different kinds.  Here's a link about marrowfat/mushy peas http://www.icons.org.uk/nom/nominations/mushy-peas

I really have no idea if they would be available in the US.  Maybe at a British import shop?

Hm. I never would have compared it to split pea soup, but that's probably because of the different textures. I think I've only had split pea soup once or twice so I'm not sure on taste comparison, either.

I saw a can of mushy peas for $4 in the import aisle of the grocery store....I was hoping from scratch would be possible and cheaper.

If you can get dried peas, that's the way to go. It's how they were made traditionally before the advent of new fangled tins of peas (I'm talking WW2 here!) and it's super cheap. A bag of dried peas will last you forever

You get the dried peas, soak them for about 24 hours then boil them up, serve 'em really hot - simple as that

My irish family were forever soaking peas and boiling them with over salted gammon when I was a child (although the homemade soda bread was amazing!) :/

If you can get dried peas, that's the way to go. It's how they were made traditionally before the advent of new fangled tins of peas (I'm talking WW2 here!) and it's super cheap. A bag of dried peas will last you forever

You get the dried peas, soak them for about 24 hours then boil them up, serve 'em really hot - simple as that

My irish family were forever soaking peas and boiling them with over salted gammon when I was a child (although the homemade soda bread was amazing!) :/

Mary Kate,

Regular dried peas or should I specifically look for "marrowfat"? 

I believe that any dried peas will do as all dried peas are marrowfat, marrowfat means they've been left to dry out in the fields not instantly harvested like petite pois or garden peas. It's not like a different breed of peas or anything.

I think they probably don't use the word marrowfat outside of the UK.

Although...I could be wrong, but I doubt that using other types of dried peas would  make much difference, it's the soaking time that counts

I'm thinking that pea soup just has more water in to make it more soupy, less mushy.  I am getting hungry for peas, now!

Here's Heston Blumenthal's mushy pea recipe:

Mushy peas

Serves 4-6

475g frozen peas (I like Birds Eye)
65g butter
6 mint leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Defrost the frozen peas in a large pot filled with cool water — this should take a only few minutes. Strain, shaking off as much excess water as possible.

2 Reserve about one-fifth of the peas.Place the remaining peas into a sauté pan, along with the butter and 50ml water. Cook over a medium heat until all the water has evaporated and the peas are cooked through. If your water is very hard, it would be best to buy some bottled water (or, even better, de-ionized car-battery water) to use when cooking the peas, as this will help to keep their colour bright green.

3 Place the cooked peas into a blender (or use a stick blender) and purée. While blending, adjust the taste by adding the mint leaves and the salt and pepper.

4 Fold in the reserved peas and serve.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/heston_blumenthal/article631377.ece

Thanks everyone! Sadly,  I don't have a blender to try out the blender part, but I have a potato masher!

I'm thinking that pea soup just has more water in to make it more soupy, less mushy.  I am getting hungry for peas, now!

This.  We always made our pea soup very thick, and I find the flavour and consistency of mushy peas very similar. 

According to Wikipedia, mushy peas are only green because they have food colouring added    Mary Kate, did your family add colour to theirs?

This.  We always made our pea soup very thick, and I find the flavour and consistency of mushy peas very similar. 

According to Wikipedia, mushy peas are only green because they have food colouring added    Mary Kate, did your family add colour to theirs?

I doubt it, they were very poor (or thought they were! lots of nettle soup and overboiled meat for 3 days on the trot - I hated visiting!) and the attractiveness of food wasn't high on the priority list, they were probably just a bit grey.

Do I want to know what nettle soup is?

Do I want to know what nettle soup is?

Heh heh,
It's alright, sort of like watercress soup.
It's made from stinging nettles, but from like the smaller/younger leaves.

oh, okay. Well, that's a bit better than what my imagination had cooked up!

Here's Heston Blumenthal's mushy pea recipe:

Mushy peas

Serves 4-6

475g frozen peas (I like Birds Eye)
65g butter
6 mint leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Defrost the frozen peas in a large pot filled with cool water — this should take a only few minutes. Strain, shaking off as much excess water as possible.

2 Reserve about one-fifth of the peas.Place the remaining peas into a sauté pan, along with the butter and 50ml water. Cook over a medium heat until all the water has evaporated and the peas are cooked through. If your water is very hard, it would be best to buy some bottled water (or, even better, de-ionized car-battery water) to use when cooking the peas, as this will help to keep their colour bright green.

3 Place the cooked peas into a blender (or use a stick blender) and purée. While blending, adjust the taste by adding the mint leaves and the salt and pepper.

4 Fold in the reserved peas and serve.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/heston_blumenthal/article631377.ece

That's just wrong - mushy peas should not be made using frozen peas!