Peas - shelling

These beautiful legumes are beloved by almost everyone, and make a great addition to your shares in early June.

Cooking Tips

The pod of the shelling peas is tough and hard to chew. Peas should be removed from their pods before you eat them. The pods can be composted or used to make vegetable stock. While doing this, it can be hard not to eat the peas as quickly as you can shell them, but there is nothing wrong with that; fresh and raw may be the tastiest way to enjoy these little guys. If you manage to save some, put them on a salad, or cook them very lightly with a little butter. Add them at the last minute to a stir-fry, curry, or rice. You can boil or steam them for three or four minutes, until they take on a deeper shade of green, but be careful not to overcook them or they will become soggy.

Storage Tips

Peas, like sweet corn, begin losing their sweetness immediately after being picked, so they are best eaten as soon as possible. Keep them in the fridge until you are ready to use them, and they will be best if shelled just before they are used. If you have more peas than you can use immediately, they can be blanched in boiling water and frozen in a plastic bag to be eaten later.

Nutrition

Peas are high in vegetable protein, vitamins A, C, and K, and many B vitamins. They contain iron, potassium, phosphorus, and fiber.

History

Peas were first cultivated in Southwest Asia, and are believed to have been a part of the original rise of agriculture in the Neolithic Age along with wheat and barley. They have been an integral part of food culture throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa ever since, although have been generally used in their dried form, like split peas, rather than fresh. This partly explains why fresh spring peas are also sometimes referred to as "English peas"; they have long been particularly enjoyed in this way on the British Isles.