Green Peas

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Raw Green Pea

Description and History

A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the legume Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Although treated as a vegetable in cooking, it is botanically a fruit. The name is also used to describe other edible seeds from the Fabaceae such as the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and the seeds from several species of Lathyrus.

The modern-day garden pea is thought to have originated from the field pea that was native to central Asia and Europe and has been consumed by man for thousands and thousands of years. In fact, peas are mentioned in the Bible and were prized by the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Yet, it was not until the 16th century, when cultivation techniques created more tender varieties that people began to consume peas in their fresh state as opposed to just eating dried peas. It seems that the Chinese, a culture that had consumed this legume as far back as 2000 BC, were the first ones to consume both the seeds and the pods as a vegetable.

Uses

▸ Boiled or steamed.

▸ Stir-fries, crudités, salads, or steamed

▸ Eaten raw (immature green peas with pods)

Storage Tips

Keep garden peas in the pod until just before you plan to use them to preserve their quality. Always refrigerate peas in a perforated plastic bag to prevent their sugar from being converted into starch as well as maintain their nutrient content. You may freeze peas but they will lose their crunchy quality. Shelled peas should be removed from the shell before freezing.

Cooking Tips

Prior to use, wash all types of peas thoroughly and shell garden peas.  Pinch off the stem end and pull the string the length of the pod for garden peas and snow peas. Sugar snap peas only require the tips of the pod be removed.

Peas are great for stir-fries, crudités, salads, or steamed.