Care of Peas

When your share has fresh shelling peas:

Use them quickly or freeze them.
Sugar snap peas and shelling peas make a great snack eaten raw or here are some simple suggestions.

Peas don’t have much of a shelf life, so I don’t recommend storing them —in their pods or shelled—for very long. Store pods in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator and use them within a couple of days. Once they’re shelled, the best way to store peas is to freeze them. First blanch them for a minute or two in boiling salted water and then shock them in an ice-water bath until cool, to help maintain their bright color. Drain and freeze them in zip-top bags. They will keep for five to six months.

Peas—have a very sweet flavor and they take only a few minutes to cook, particularly when they’re very fresh and young, so they’re a perfect ingredient for fast weeknight dishes. In fact, the secret to maintaining their sweetness and bright-green color is to cook them as little as possible, just enough to make them tender. What’s more, peas lend themselves to almost any cooking method, from boiling and steaming to sauteing, stir-frying, and quick-braising.

Peas mild sweetness pairs well with many different flavors. Cured meats like bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, smoked ham, and chorizo work wonderfully with peas, as their pronounced saltiness complements the gentle flavor. Fresh mint is also a classic flavor partner, bringing peas to life in an instant. Peas will pair well other fresh spring herbs such as basil,  chives, and dill. . Peas are a natural with onions, scallions, and other alliums, and they pair well with other spring vegetables like asparagus, new potatoes and carrots. 

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