Sugar Snap Pea
The Sugar Snap Pea is a legume, a variety of pea that can be eaten whole when it is unripe. This variety of pea (along with the Snow Pea) lacks the fibrous lining in the pod of other field peas. Sugar Snap Peas are bright green pod that is almost tubular where it houses its round little peas. The young, delicate tendril like sprouts is what is used culinarily as Pea Sprouts.
Raw, peas are high in fiber, vitamins C and A and iron.
Prepping and Eating Tips
– Always wash your snap peas well before eating
– Trim the end stems and the remove the little fiber string that are common to all legume pods. Just grab the little stem at the end and pull out the tough string in the seam of the of the pod.
– They are great raw in salads or in a crudite to be enjoyed with a dip.
– Sugar snap peas are also eaten slightly steamed, thrown in stir fry at the last minute. Avoid overcooking, as you want to keep that bright green and fresh sweetness on your plate.
Selecting and storing Tips
Select firm pods with high vibrant color. Avoid brown spots or those with opening in pod.
Store in refrigerated in air tight container or bag, up to a week.
To freeze, blanch first by adding prepared peas to a pot of boiling water and cover for 2 minutes, then draining in a colander, immersing in a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes. Then drain and let dry on flat area with towel or paper towel or spin dry. Once dried, put in air tight container and freeze.