When I was a kid, my mom used to give us raw veggies. I remember the raw green beans, raw carrots, and raw peas in a pod. Last month, when I fell in love with sugar snap peas, I wondered why mom never served them.
She never served sugar snap peas because they had not yet been born. Although the modern-day garden pea dates back thousands of years, sugar snap peas were first released in 1979.
Sugar snap peas were created to improve upon the Chinese snow pea, which was too flat and stringy, and to improve upon the garden pea pod, which was too difficult to chew.
Sugar snap peas should not be confused with their cousins, the snow pea and the garden pea.
Snow peas, AKA Chinese pea pods, are often used in stir-fries. They are flat with very small peas inside. The whole pod is edible, but is somewhat chewy.
Garden peas, AKA sweet peas or English peas, need to be removed from the pod before eating. The rounded pods are discarded.
Sugar snap peas, AKA snap peas, are crunchy and sweet, and the whole pod can be enjoyed with gusto.
Sugar snap peas are good for you. In a one-cup serving, they contain 35 calories, provide 2 grams of protein, no fat, 3 grams of natural sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 50 milligrams of vitamin C. They provide B-complex vitamins and vitamin K.
I love to crunch them when watching TV, sitting at my Mac, and when driving the car.
I often buy several bags, open them, and freeze most of the contents in freezer slider bags.
Here’s a trick I use: I zip the bag of sugar snap peas closed, removing as much air as possible. Then I open a small part of the seal, and insert a straw. I suck out as much air as I can, remove the straw, and zip the baggie closed. I then write the date on the baggie with a permanent marker.
With my raw veggie snacks, I can now enjoy eating my fill, enjoy the health and fiber benefits, and I can enjoy the memories of my youth at the dinner table with mom.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen51@gmail.com
