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Peas
Peas belong to the vegetable family known as legumes whose plants produce pods with enclosed seeds.
Legumes are protein-rich, low fat, nutritional additions to almost any meal, and peas are certainly no
exception. In fact only lima beans are a better vegetable source of protein than peas. To me, there is
nothing better than fresh peas stripped from their pods, boiled quickly and then tossed with some sweet
butter and salt; they are sweet, tender and delicious, and so very nutritious.
Peas take so well to freezing that only about 5 percent of the nation's pea crop are sold fresh. Most
of the pea crop is sold canned, frozen, and to a lesser degree, dried. Frozen peas retain their color,
flavor and texture much better than canned peas, but neither compares to fresh peas right out of the
pod.
California is the leading producer of peas, which are available year-round. New York, South Carolina,
Oregon, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, and Virginia are also pea-producing
states. Peas are imported into the United States from Guatemala Mexico, China, Honduras, and the
Dominican Republic.
Storage & Selection
When selecting fresh green peas, check the pod carefully. Look for peas that are firm, crisp, with a
bright green color, and a fresh appearance. Fresh peas will feel almost velvet-like when you handle
them. Try to buy medium sized pods rather than large ones. Avoid tough, thick-skinned pods, as this is
an indication that the peas are over-matured, as well as those that exhibit poor color or show any sign
of decay or wilting. Don't buy peas that are already shelled because you never know when they were
shelled. When you bring green peas home from the market, remember they have a very short shelf life,
so use them right away.
Snow peas and snap peas should also have good color, lighter for snow peas, and darker for sugar snap
peas. They should also exhibit a firm crispness. The ideal size for snow peas is about 3 inches long
and about ¾ inch wide and they should be flat with a fairly shiny appearance. Sugar snap peas are a
little smaller, perhaps 2½ to 3 inches in length. They should also have a plump, snug pod encasing the
peas inside. Snap and sugar peas have a somewhat longer shelf life than green peas, up to three days
when kept refrigerated unwashed, in plastic bags. Snow peas like less humidity than sugar snap peas so
take that into account in deciding where in the refrigerator to store them. It is also wise to perforate
the plastic bag in which you intend to store them.
Preparation
Rinse the pea pods just before you sit down to shell them. Green peas are not difficult to shell but it
does take awhile, so you may want to do something like watch television when you do. Pinch off the stem,
and then pull the string down the full length of the pod. This will cause the pod to pop open and expose
the peas inside.
Steam your fresh peas in as little liquid as possible, because the less liquid you use, the higher the
nutritional value will be. Fresh peas need very little cooking time, no more than 5 to 8 minutes. After
a little butter and salt to taste, I love to add chives and mint to complete a wonderful side dish.
Fresh or dry herbs are also delicious accompanists.
Sugar snap peas have strings, but whether or not they are removed is a personal choice or habit, not an
obligation. The only thing that you may want to remove if the growers did not, is the calyx or cap at
one end. Try boiling snap peas for about 3 minutes and refreshing them in ice water to set their bright
color, and then use them in a stir-fry with other vegetables. They can also be cooked on their own with
butter and herbs or put into cold preparations like pasta salads. You can also prepare peas by blanching
them for no more than a minute in boiling water. Drain them and cool them promptly in cold water, and
they are ready to be added to salads and pasta dishes.
As with sugar snaps, snow peas have strings but they needn't be removed. Some have a calyx and that
should be removed for aesthetic as well as practical reasons. A quick snap of the wrist with or without
a paring knife will do the trick.
Snow peas are also ideal for stir-fries, and are frequently included in many Asian stir-fry recipes.
They are particularly excellent as part of stir-fry dishes featuring shrimp, chicken or pork. Sugar snap
peas are also excellent in stir-fry dishes, and they cook quickly, usually no more than a minute or two
is needed.
Tony's Tip
When selecting green peas, run your finger to the top of the pod to make sure the peas are not too large
but fill up the whole pod. If the pod is not completely filled, the peas won't be as sweet as the ones
in a full pod.
Tony's Favorite Recipe
Sugar Snap Peas with New Potatoes
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Varieties
Peas are divided into two categories: those
with edible pods and those without them.
Green Pea, English Pea, and Garden Pea, all
fall into the category of the peas with pods not to be eaten. As to specific varieties, most commercial
peas are either called garden or English peas.
Petit pois are not a variety of peas but
merely green peas that have been picked before full maturity. Since they are picked early, they are
smaller than normal green peas.
Snap peas look like miniature versions of the
green pea pods, except the snap pea pods are edible.
Sugar Snap and Sugar Daddy are the two
varieties of snap peas. The Sugar Daddy is actually a cross between the green pea and the snow pea,
and is a string-less sugar snap pea. You don't have to necessarily remove the strings form Sugar Snap
peas before cooking.
Snow peas used to be seen only in Chinese
restaurants, but they're now available almost everywhere. The pale green, edible pods are flat and wide,
with the outlines of little peas visible throughout the pod. There are often strings, but again, they
need not be removed. Snow peas are also called Sugar Peas, China Peas, and Mangetout, which in France
means, "eat it all." Sound advice indeed!
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