Fresh peas don't need to be soaked and they cook fairly quickly. Unlike dried black-eyed peas, they don't need to be soaked, and they cook much faster. They arrive in markets during the late summer and early fall. One pound unshelled yields one cup shelled. These appear in the summer months, and they're so sweet that it's well worth the trouble to shell them.
Freshness is crucial, so look for brightly colored pods that are crisp enough to snap.
Petits pois are a small and tender variety.