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UN-PEA-LIEVABLE

I tested frozen peas including Birds Eye – a bargain supermarket was better and 65% cheaper than the iconic brand

A BAG of frozen peas is a must-have item for the freezer, whether you suddenly fancy a roast or one of your five a day.

The vegetables are bursting with vitamin C, iron, insoluble fibre and even protein.

Lynsey Hope put the supermarkets' own-brand frozen peas against Birds Eye
8
Lynsey Hope put the supermarkets' own-brand frozen peas against Birds EyeCredit: Gary Stone

And whilst you might think they are all the same, not all peas are created equal.

We grow around 160,000 tonnes a year in the UK, mostly on the east coast from Suffolk to Dundee.

They are harvested in a ten-week period from June until August when specialist combine harvesters comb the fields, strip the pods from the plant, bursting them open and separate the peas.

Any with loose skins or poor colour are immediately downgraded so which ones are worth shelling out on?

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We asked Lynsey Hope, 41, from West Malling, Kent, to try some own-brand peas and rate her favourites:

Essential Waitrose Garden Peas (725g)

  • £1
  • £1.38 per kg
Waitrose had a nice texture but dull colour compared to other peas in the test
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Waitrose had a nice texture but dull colour compared to other peas in the testCredit: Gary Stone

They had a very dull colour compared to most of the others, edging towards khaki.

I found them flavourless, but I did like the texture.

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They are a great price from Waitrose too, cheaper than Sainsbury's and Asda per kg.

  • TASTE: 7/10
  • VALUE: 8/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

Garden Peas by Sainsbury's (910g)

  • £1.35
  • £1.48 per kg
The pea skins by Sainsbury's were a bit chewy, according to Lynsey
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The pea skins by Sainsbury's were a bit chewy, according to LynseyCredit: Gary Stone

Sainsbury's frozen garden pears were brightly coloured with a good mix of sizes in the bag.

The skins were a little chewy and could be more tender but I liked the pea flavour, though they were not as sweet as some.

  • TASTE: 7/10
  • VALUE: 8/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 7/10

Birds Eye Garden Peas (1.2kg)

  • £3.70
  • £3.08 per kg
Lynsey found Birds Eye's peas aren't worth the price tag
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Lynsey found Birds Eye's peas aren't worth the price tagCredit: Gary Stone

Very bright green and colour by the popular brand and the skins were tender.

They had the "popping" texture you might get with the more expensive petits pois but they are overpriced.

Most of the time I'm serving these up with fish fingers for the kids so they're not really worth the high price tag.

  • TASTE: 10/10
  • VALUE: 7/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Lidl Freshona British Garden Peas (900g)

  • 99p
  • £1.09 per kg
Lidl will give you more bang for your buck
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Lidl will give you more bang for your buckCredit: Gary Stone

Lidl's were bigger than others but they had a consistent and appealing emerald-green colour and sweet flavour.

Beaten on price only by Aldi and 65% cheaper than Birds Eye by kg, they were actually my favourites.

  • TASTE: 10/10
  • VALUE: 10/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 10/10

Asda British Garden Peas (1kg)

  • £2.25
  • £2.81 per kg
Asda's peas were bigger than most of the others
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Asda's peas were bigger than most of the othersCredit: Gary Stone

Mild and sweet, I found Asda's peas to have a great texture.

They were bigger than most of the others and more-ish.

They were pricey compared to many own brands but still cheaper than Birds Eye and I thought the quality was good.

A great item to have in the freezer.

  • TASTE: 9/10
  • VALUE: 7/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Aldi Four Seasons British Garden Peas (900g)

  • 89p
  • 99p per kg
Aldi's frozen vegetables were the cheapest in our test
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Aldi's frozen vegetables were the cheapest in our testCredit: Gary Stone

I liked Aldi's peas for the price.

They were a bit of a mish mash of sizes and were duller in colour than others, but they tasted good and had a nice "pop".

The skin was tender and they were beautifully sweet.

  • TASTE: 9/10
  • VALUE: 10/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Tesco Garden Peas (1kg)

  • £1.35
  • £1.35 per kg
Tesco got an average score in our taste test
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Tesco got an average score in our taste testCredit: Gary Stone

These took a while to cook compared to others, but I didn't mind them.

They came in an average size, and had a decent colour as well as a good price too.

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There wasn't much to complain about.

  • TASTE: 6/10
  • VALUE: 7/10
  • OVERALL SCORE: 6/10
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