What is an English Pea ?
English Peas also known as garden peas or shelling peas are the common pea when you think of canned or frozen peas. Unlike snow peas or snap peas where the pod is eaten, only the seeds (or actual peas) are eaten from the English pea. These peas grow on tall plants in a pod that is harvested. The pods are sometimes sold in stores and are easy to peel and extract the peas.
What do they taste like?
English peas have a sweet mild earthy flavor with a firm texture when fresh and become more starchy when cooked.
What to look for when buying?
If buying fresh peas in a pod, look for bright green pods. Some bruising or marks are fine as you aren't eating the pod. Feel the pod for the peas inside they should not feel flat. Avoid pods that have visible signs of mold. Yellowing pods are also a sign of older peas and they may not be as fresh. If whole peas sound too intimidating or not available I recommend frozen over canned due to texture and nutrition value.
How to best prepare Peas?
When buying fresh peas, open up the pods and remove the peas. (Watch my video on peas to see how I peel peas.) Give them a good rinse and they can be eaten raw, blanched, steamed, added into soups, etc. I enjoy snacking on them raw but if they are too starchy blanching them in boiling water for 2 minutes helps take away a bit of that starchy bite. When I add them into boxed mac & cheese I just add frozen peas into the pasta that is cooking about a minute or two before its fully cooked.
How to best store at home?
Peas store fairly easily in the fridge or freeze very well. Peel the pods and store in a container in the fridge for up to a week or so. If you want to preserve them, I recommend blanching, cooling and drying completely and freezing in an airtight bag.
What is the best season?
Fresh English peas are typically harvested in late spring to early summer from April - June. Often, my grocery stores will only have peas in the pod available during this time, otherwise buy frozen.
Nutritional Benefits
English peas contain a variety of nutrients and fiber making them a great veggie to add to your meals especially frozen peas as they are SO easy to add in to almost anything to boost the nutritional value of your meal. They are rich in vitamins A, C, and K as well as containing B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
