Peas - my green pick of the month

Holly Brooke-Smith

05 July 2013

In the first of a new series celebrating sustainable food, Holly Brooke-Smith lifts the lid on peas which are at their very best in July.

There's something I find so comforting about peas. Reliable, delicious, so easy to cook and packed with vitamins. In Britain we mainly eat the frozen variety - 150 million kilos a year in fact. This is because no other vegetable deteriorates as quickly once harvested - it's one of the few veg that's as good, some might argue better, straight from the freezer.

But with the British harvest starting on 5 July, now is also the perfect time to celebrate fresh peas. That's if you have a local farm shop, farmers market or supermarket which sells them fresh. If you're green-fingered, you could think about growing peas - next year at least.

However you enjoy them, spare a thought for the humble pea's journey - here's what I discovered.

A podded history

Clarence Birdseye invented a market-changing process in the 1920s. This speedy freezing method meant that the ice crystals were much smaller and food could be defrosted without turning mushy. Since then, the UK appetite for frozen peas has rocketed; the average person eats 9,000 peas a year, 90% of which are grown here.

About 35,000 hectares of our landscape is dedicated to growing peas and we're the largest pea-producer in Europe. The sweet garden peas we eat today were developed by English breeders in the 18th century. Before then, the tougher field pea was much more common, eaten dried in pease pudding or soups.

The life of a pea

Pea farmers walk their fields every day as harvest approaches, regularly testing the plants for tenderness to make sure they are picked at exactly the right time. Growers use a machine, charmingly named The Tenderometer, to asses exactly when a field is ready to be harvested. As soon as a pod reaches its prime, the clock is ticking to get that pea packed - harvesting continues day and night and in all weathers. Generally, peas travel no more than 35 miles from field to the factory, and within 2 ½ hours they have been podded, cleaned, blanched to capture colour and then flash frozen to seal in vitamins and texture. Now that gives a new meaning to 'fast food'.

Shopping

James Young sources all the veg for Igloo Group, which includes Birdseye. He explains what we should look out for in the shops.
"Look for the picked and frozen message on your pack to make sure this is within the shortest time possible, and avoid spurious messages like 'field to frozen'. Also check the back of the pack to ensure no unnecessary sugar or salt is added to their peas and that the product remains as naturally sweet as possible."

And in terms of food miles, the industry is moving towards much clearer labelling. "Consumers increasingly demand locally-grown produce, an open and honest supply chain and that each pack is as traceable to its origin as is practically possible," explains James.

Peas are only imported when the UK harvest can't keep up with demand. The vines are very susceptible to bad weather, which was a particular problem with the wet summer in 2012.

Nutrients

Peas are packed full of good stuff. They give us vitamins C and A, and are a good source of iron, folate and thiamine (B1).  Remember to make the most of the vitamins by steaming your peas rather than boiling. 

Environment

Like all plants in the legume family, peas 'fix' nitrogen into the soil which keeps the land fertile and live. They can also provide a valuable habitat for ground-nesting birds such as skylarks.  

Organic peas, grown without pesticides or other chemicals, are the most sustainable option for the soil and wildlife. Thanks to those of us who prefer our food without chemicals, frozen organic peas are becoming more widely available in supermarkets, so look out for them next time you're shopping.       

My favourite pea recipe

The best way to eat frozen peas is not to cook them at all, just leave them to defrost overnight in the fridge. They're at their crunchiest and best. Mix in a big bowl with some blanched broccoli, a simple salad dressing and some flaked almonds. Find more pea recipes at www.peas.org.

Holly Brooke-Smith is a volunteer writer for the Publishing & New Media Team.

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