Why It Works Refrigerator pickling keeps the peas crisp, preserving their snap through the brining process. Lightly sweetened rice wine vinegar brine brightens the peas without burying their natural sweetness. Packing the jar tightly, then tapping out bubbles, helps the hot brine reach every pod evenly. When I was 9 years old, my family lived next door to a sweet, older couple. Guy was an avid gardener who spent hours tending his spacious yard. His wife Jan was more interested in grooming her miniature poodle. Mitzi was a fluffy, friendly little pup that had both her owners wrapped around her tiny paws. Though Guy could be initially gruff, one look at his garden and it was obvious that he adored Mitzi. Though he'd readily admit that he was a meat and potatoes guy, he dedicated a good portion of his prime growing space to sugar snap peas. He didn't raise them for their dinner table. They were there because Mitzi liked them. She had learned to stand on her back legs in order to reach the pea pods.…