1. Before cooking, shell fresh green peas or English peas. You can simply snap the pod’s top off and draw the thread down the pod’s side.
2. Then remove the peas and rinse them in cool water before draining. (Remove the tips from sugar or edible pod peas and rinse in cold water.)
3. To boil, half-fill a large Dutch oven with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Return to a boil with the shelled peas.
4. Cook until peas are soft, about 6 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Serve immediately after seasoning.
5. Note that if serving green peas cold in salads, immediately submerge cooked peas in cold water. Allow the English peas to cool to room temperature. Make sure you drain as much as possible.
6. Green peas can be served with butter and salt & pepper, or with any of the following: Drawn butter, French dressing, lemon butter sauce, oil and lemon sauce, or any sour cream or white sauce are all good options.

You can also finish them off with a chopped fresh herb, such as basil or mint. You could also fold them into a silky risotto or pasta meal, refrigerate them for later use in a vivid pasta salad, or purée them for a simple and elegant crostini spread. You can watch this video recipe to know how to cook English peas to perfection.