Peas Just Taste Like Summer
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 noexception. In fact only lima beans are a better vegetable source of protein than peas. To me, there isnothing better than fresh peas stripped from their pods, boiled quickly and then tossed with some sweetbutter 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-producingstates. Peas are imported into the United States from Guatemala Mexico, China, Honduras, and theDominican Republic.
Storage & Selection
When selecting fresh green peas, check the pod carefully. Look for peas that are firm, crisp, with abright green color, and a fresh appearance. Fresh peas will feel almost velvet-like when you handlethem. Try to buy medium sized pods rather than large ones. Avoid tough, thick-skinned pods, as this isan indication that the peas are over-matured, as well as those that exhibit poor color or show any signof decay or wilting. Don't buy peas that are already shelled because you never know when they wereshelled. 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 snappeas. They should also exhibit a firm crispness. The ideal size for snow peas is about 3 inches longand about ¾ inch wide and they should be flat with a fairly shiny appearance. Sugar snap peas are alittle smaller, perhaps 2½ to 3 inches in length. They should also have a plump, snug pod encasing thepeas inside. Snap and sugar peas have a somewhat longer shelf life than green peas, up to three dayswhen kept refrigerated unwashed, in plastic bags. Snow peas like less humidity than sugar snap peas sotake that into account in deciding where in the refrigerator to store them. It is also wise to perforatethe 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 itdoes 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 exposethe peas inside.
Steam your fresh peas in as little liquid as possible, because the less liquid you use, the higher thenutritional 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 anobligation. The only thing that you may want to remove if the growers did not, is the calyx or cap atone end. Try boiling snap peas for about 3 minutes and refreshing them in ice water to set their brightcolor, and then use them in a stir-fry with other vegetables. They can also be cooked on their own withbutter and herbs or put into cold preparations like pasta salads. You can also prepare peas by blanchingthem for no more than a minute in boiling water. Drain them and cool them promptly in cold water, andthey 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 thatshould be removed for aesthetic as well as practical reasons. A quick snap of the wrist with or withouta 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 snappeas are also excellent in stir-fry dishes, and they cook quickly, usually no more than a minute or twois needed.
When selecting green peas, run your finger to the top of the pod to make sure the peas are not too largebut fill up the whole pod. If the pod is not completely filled, the peas won't be as sweet as the onesin a full pod.