Peas Are A Wonderful Fruit... Yes, Fruit
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a (pea) flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking.
The fresh pea is a small, round green vegetable, which is grown in a pod and is generally harvested in the early summer. Also known by other names such as sweet pea, green pea, garden pea, or English pea, the fresh pea is grown to be removed from the pod and eaten raw or used as an ingredient to be added to salads, soups, stews, casseroles, and other dishes. Fresh peas are available as a raw podded pea, canned as a shelled pea and frozen.
Peas are starchy, but high in fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and lutein. Dry weight is about one-quarter protein and one-quarter sugar.[25] Pea seed peptide fractions have less ability to scavenge free radicals than glutathione, but greater ability to chelate metals and inhibit linoleic acid oxidation.
Storage: Peas are best eaten as soon as possible after they are picked. To store, place them in a container that is not airtight or place them in a perforated plastic bag. They can be refrigerated for 3 or 4 days. The longer they are refrigerated the less sweet they will be. Do not leave peas out at room temperature.
