The pods of peas, also commonly called peels, they are often considered a waste; consequently they end up in the waste. In reality, however, they are edible and can be used in many recipes, with excellent health benefits.
Botanically, the pods are fruits and the peas are the seeds within them.
They should be consumed when they are very fresh; of course, since they are peels, it is advisable that the product comes from organic farming, to avoid bringing pesticides to the table.
The flavor is similar to that of peas; they are, however, slightly sweeter.
In this article we refer to the pods of common peas, those, in fact, that are discarded. There is, in fact, a variety known as mangiatutto or jackdaw, in which the pod is also normally consumed because the seeds inside are underdeveloped and the skin is more tender.
Here, therefore, we are referring precisely to pods of the varieties to be peeled; those that usually end up in the trash.
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Pea pods, nutritional properties
The pods of peas they provide just over 40 calories per 100 g of product. They do not contain fat and are an excellent source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K.
They have a good quantity of minerals and, considering that it is a vegetable food, they are particularly rich in iron; 100 grams of product contain, in fact, about 2 milligrams.
They are very fibrous; in 100 grams of pea pods there are about 3 grams of fiber.
Why eat pea pods?
For the nutritional qualities, of course, but ... there are also other excellent reasons, such as:
> vary the power supply and try new recipes;
> reduce waste food;
> reduce the volume of waste;
> save. We consider, in fact, that the pods make up about 70% of the product. Therefore, if only peas are consumed, only 30% of what has been purchased is brought to the table.
How to cook with pea pods
Pea pods lend themselves to the preparation of soups and creams; they are, however, very fibrous, therefore after boiling them, they are passed through a vegetable mill.
The use of a vegetable mill is preferable to that of a blender because the numerous filaments on the pod could get stuck to the blades of the appliance, with the risk of breaking it.
An anti-waste idea is that of use pea pods as an ingredient in vegetable broth, to be used, for example, to cook pasta or even to give more flavor to a risotto, to wet a vegetable sauce, to further flavor soupy dishes.
After boiling them and passing them through a vegetable mill, the pea pods can become the seasoning of risotto and other first courses; they can be used to prepare excellent flans; they can be added to potatoes to obtain a different puree than usual ...
With a little bit of fantasy in the kitchen you can fight waste and eat better and healthier.
Read also 20 ways to use fruit and vegetable peels ... and more!
