Peas

The garden pea (Pisum sativum) is a legume in the Fabaceae family, which also includes beans, lentils and chickpeas. It is an annual plant that grows as a climbing or semi-climbing herb, using tendrils to support itself on nearby structures. The pods develop from flowers and contain several seeds, commonly called peas. Although the seeds are the part most often eaten, young pods are also edible in varieties such as snow peas and sugar snap peas.

Peas grow best in cool weather and are generally sown in spring or autumn, depending on the climate. Their roots can form a partnership with specific soil bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds the plant can use, a process known as nitrogen fixation. This helps peas obtain an important nutrient without relying entirely on nitrogen already present in the soil.

Fresh peas have a naturally sweet flavor because their young seeds contain soluble sugars. They can be eaten raw when very fresh or cooked in soups, salads, stews, rice dishes and many vegetable preparations. Peas provide plant protein, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and several minerals, including iron and manganese. Their nutritional composition changes with maturity, storage and cooking.

Fresh peas are more perishable than dried peas and are usually best consumed soon after harvesting or kept refrigerated. Once mature and dried, the seeds become much harder and are commonly used as a dried legume. Peas are therefore both a useful garden crop and a versatile food, while their relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria also contributes to nutrient cycling in the soil.