Peas
Flavour Profile
Bright, sweet and earthy. They have a distinct grassy freshness that cuts through rich, salty fats like bacon or heavy cream.
Health Benefits
Peas are a good bit of plant protein and fibre, which is always decent for keeping your gut happy.
You'll also get a dose of vitamin C — that's for your immune system, plain and simple.
Buying Tips
Frozen is almost always better than fresh unless you have a garden. Peas begin converting their sugar into starch the second they are picked.
The 'fresh' peas at the supermarket have usually been sitting around too long. They end up floury and dull. Frozen peas are blanched and frozen minutes after harvest, locking in that sweetness.
Storage
Keep frozen peas in the freezer. Don't let them thaw and refreeze or they'll turn into a solid block of ice.
If you bought fresh pods, keep them in the fridge and eat them the same day. They don't wait for anyone.
Cooking Uses
The ultimate wingman. Throw them into a risotto, fold them through pasta, or blitz them with mint and butter for a vibrant mash.
They only need a minute or two of heat. Overcook them and they go grey and mushy. Keep it quick to keep it green.
Forkin Food Theory
Most people cook peas in a big pot of boiling water and then drain that water away.
That green water down the sink is actually a lot of the flavour and nutrients leaving the building.
To keep the flavour in the pea, use as little water as possible, or better yet, cook them directly in the sauce or fat you are serving them with.
Don't boil them to death. Steam them or sauté them to keep the cell walls intact for that signature 'pop'.
Wild & Wonderful
Frozen peas are picked, podded, and frozen within hours of harvest. Most fresh peas in shops are days old, and peas convert sugar to starch fast after picking — meaning frozen peas are usually sweeter and better than the "fresh" ones in the pod.
The exception is fresh peas you've podded yourself within a day of picking. Those are different things entirely.
Don't overcook them. 90 seconds in boiling water is plenty. Long cooking turns them grey and starchy.
Dried split peas are a different ingredient — used for soups (pea and ham, dhal), not interchangeable with fresh or frozen.