Mr. Pea Sheller (and bean sheller)
This hand style pea sheller machine is far better than the old two thumb method. It is cheap and very simple to use. Mr. Pea Sheller is perfect for the small gardener.
Preparation
Peas need to be fresh and green to work properly in the Mr. Pea Sheller. Usually spreading the pea pods out on a sheet or blanket and leaving them for six to eight hours (or overnight) will give the best results when shelling with the Mr. Pea Sheller.
Use
Operating the Mr. Pea Sheller is very simple. You put the pods in the top of the sheller and start to turn the roller with the supplied hand crank. The pod will be pulled through. When rollers reach the first pea in the pod, the pea will push through the side of the pod and fall below, down a slide and in to your pie pan, or other shallow pan. The empty hull, or pod, will be ejected on the other side.
Design
The Mr. Pea Sheller is made of steel with nylon mesh rollers. It has a hand crank you turn to pull the peas through the rollers. The Mr. Pea Sheller has a two spline rollers to separate the peas from the pod. The peas simply fall below the the sheller in to a pan you provide. There is a clamp on the bottom of the pea sheller so you can use to attach to most tables. The clamp on the Mr. Pea Sheller is held in place by a single screw. A protective cap on this screw ensures the Pea Sheller will not damage any surface.
Making it electric
Taking a standard electric hand mixer and attaching it to the Mr. Pea Sheller will turn it to a semi-electric bean sheller. You will need to hold on to the pea sheller to make sure it does not shake the screw lose below, or simply check the screw every 10-15 minutes of operation.
Mr. Pea Sheller Problems
Using the Mr. Pea Sheller only has a few minor problems. The major problem with the sheller is the amount it can handle. Trying to shell more than one pea pod at a time will make the rollers very difficult to turn, even using the electric hand mixer could cause the rollers to jam. If the produce is not fresh and green, or if it is too wet the peas will simply get mashed and not pop out the side of the pea pod. You should expect a few of the peas to simply get mashed when using the Mr. Pea Sheller, but the vast majority of your peas will come out perfect for preserving or eating.
Mr. Pea Sheller- Blanching Peas
Beans and peas that just will not shell without mashing probably have either very tough pods due to growing conditions, or may be too green or too dry. These may be shelled very easily by using the following method:
The peas or beans, in the pod, are blanched in boiling water from one minute (for canning or short term refrigeration) to four minutes (for freezing). Cool quickly in a cold ice water bath, the colder the water the better. Now feed them, wet, through your Mr. Pea Sheller's special rollers. The results will please you.
This process makes the pods or hulls tender enough that even the thin skin around the peas or beans are not damaged, and you can shell them very quickly.
One minute blanching will usually soften the toughest of pods so that shelling is now easy. If you are preparing the produce for your freezer, then blanch the peas or beans four minutes and freeze after shelling.
Mr Pea Sheller Pricing
Pricing will vary from website to website but will generally be around -60 including shipping. I have found the best pricing and fastest delivery times for Mr Pea Sheller or here Mr Pea Sheller.