Preparation, uses, and tips
Fresh peas should be used immediately and are best when barely steamed or eaten raw. They
can be enjoyed on their own, or added to salads or stir-fried dishes at the last minute. Snow
peas have flavorful, tender pods that are frequently used in preparing Asian dishes. Dried
peas, both whole and split, are delicious used in soups and stews. Before cooking, soak whole
dried peas for four to six hours, then pressure cook for ten minutes, use a crockpot, or cook
on the stovetop for an hour. French “petits pois” are simply young peas, not
another variety. Split peas are often used in Indian dishes, such as dhal. Uncooked, soaked
split peas can be ground and steamed to make a cakelike vegetable loaf.
Buying and storing tips
Peas are sold fresh in the pod, dried (either whole or split), frozen, and canned. Canned
peas are a duller green because their chlorophyll is destroyed by the heat of the canning
process. Both fresh and frozen peas are superior to canned for nutrition and flavor. Look for
fresh stems when buying fresh peas, which will only keep for a few days refrigerated and
should not be left at room temperature. Store dried peas in airtight glass or ceramic
jars.
Varieties
Among the more than 1,000 varieties of garden pea, the most common are smooth peas, the
type generally sold frozen, and the wrinkled variety, which is generally canned. Other
varieties include the sugar snap pea and snow
pea, both of which have edible pods. Beyond the garden pea varieties are the gray or field
pea, primarily used as fodder crop, and the wild Mediterranean pea sometimes called the oasis
or maquis pea. Dried peas are available whole or split, and are either green or yellow.
Nutrition Highlights
Peas (raw), 1 cup
Calories: 117
Protein: 7.8g
Carbohydrate: 21g
Total Fat: 0.58g
Fiber: 7.4g
*Excellent source of: Folate (94mcg), Vitamin A (928 IU), and Vitamin C (58mg)
*Good source of: Zinc (1.8mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.