Having carefully studied the information about the benefits of green peas, we strongly recommend including them in your daily diet, and not just as part of festive New Year's salads. Fresh and canned peas are a very valuable source of vegetable protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. It has a high content of mineral salts and trace elements. It is useful for the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as for maintaining the body’s performance and energy. Let's figure out what you should pay attention to when buying it.
Appearance of the can
Most often, peas are sold in tin cans, depriving us of the opportunity to examine their contents. However, even the appearance of the can can tell us a lot about the quality of the product. It must be free of dents, rust and chips: any damage can result in the enamel inside chipping and falling into the plate. When buying a glass jar, pay attention to the lid: it should not be swollen.
Compound
The only possible composition of high-quality peas is: fresh peas, water, sugar. Any addition of preservatives indicates low quality of the product. Peas must be produced in accordance with GOST and correspond to the highest grade. The brain variety is considered the best; after cooking and canning it turns even greener. If you see the name of this variety on the packaging, choose it. It is good both in salads and in soups and side dishes, it is very healthy and has an excellent taste.
Date of manufacture
When purchasing, it is important to look not only at the expiration date, but also at the date of manufacture: the tastiest and highest quality peas will be those made in July, that is, immediately after harvest. If it was made in the fall or winter, then most likely dry peas were used for its production.
Kind of peas
After opening the jar, evaluate the appearance of the peas: they should be whole, bright, without separated skins or sprouts. The color of canned peas can be green, light green or have a slightly yellowish tint to green. Peas must be the same color and shape. If this is not the case, some of the peas are different in color or shape - you should not eat the contents of this jar. The brine should be clear - a cloudy white sediment at the bottom of the jar indicates that the peas contain a lot of starch, that is, the product is overripe and will be hard.
Every housewife must have a jar of green peas in her bins, especially in the autumn-winter period, when salads such as Olivier salad, cod liver salad, squid salad, etc. become popular. It is so tasty and healthy that it would seem, what disadvantages could it have? In fact, there is a lot to think about here, so we suggest taking a closer look at this wonderful product and finding out what the benefits and harms of canned green peas are, and how to choose them correctly.
And here are its best advantages:
- High content of vegetable protein. It is contained here up to 18-20 grams. per 100 gr. product. Thanks to this, it is excellent for use during diets and fasts, especially if consumed together with cereals.
- Optimal combination of protein and carbohydrates. Thanks to this, peas become a very filling product with minimal calorie content (only 60-70 kcal per 100 grams). Due to the high protein content, it digests for quite a long time, maintaining a feeling of fullness.
- Protects the heart and blood vessels. Peas contain unsaturated fatty acids and lecithin, which are very important for our body, which play a huge role in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Harm of canned green peas
If we talk about fresh peas, then they have no drawbacks. Except that it is somewhat heavy for the digestive system, and can cause flatulence in people with a weak gastrointestinal tract. But the preservation process corrects everything - such peas are much more tender and easier to digest.
How to choose the right canned peas?
Given that most manufacturers produce peas in a tin, you have no way of knowing what's inside, so try to use the following as a guide.
Package
If you have the opportunity to choose glass containers, great - here you can immediately see how high-quality the product is in color and density. For example, a cloudy, thick filling hides stale or unripe fruits. If you still choose a tin can, then first look at its integrity - there should be no dents or bulges. This indicates that the product is spoiled.
Label
The label of a quality product always provides comprehensive information: legal address of the manufacturer, expiration date and packaging date, detailed composition. The composition should not contain any food additives, sweeteners, or preservatives. Some manufacturers convince that additives are necessary to preserve the product, but this does not apply to heat-treated products - after all, when you close jars of jam at home, you do not add anything there for preservation. The ideal composition of canned peas is simple - water, peas, salt, sugar.
Pea variety
In canning, only two types of peas are usually used - brain and smooth grain. The first is oval, sweet, aromatic, tasty - great for salads, pates and fillings. The second one is larger, smooth, beautiful with a mealy aftertaste. Also great for salads and garnishing dishes.
Tasting
Unfortunately, tasting is only available after purchase. But after trying it once, you will already know for sure whether it is worth buying a similar product next time. High-quality and ripe fruits feel quite elastic to the touch, offer little resistance, without falling apart at the slightest touch. Good peas smell good. There should be no sediment in the filling; ideally, the brine should be transparent.
Green peas are an indispensable ingredient for Olivier salad and vinaigrette, a good side dish for meat and poultry, and goes well with pasta or mashed potatoes. Green peas are considered a completely dietary product. Like all legumes, it is a source of relatively complete protein. In canned food with natural peas, vitamins, such as vitamin C, are perfectly preserved, unlike many products.
When choosing green peas, keep in mind that these canned foods are made either from fresh raw materials or from reconstituted ones.
- Canned foods made from reconstituted peas have lower nutritional value than those made from fresh peas.
- Canned food made from fresh green peas contains more vitamin C than those made from dried and then reconstituted peas.
How can green peas be dangerous?
As it grows and matures, it accumulates pesticides. Canned food made from low-quality raw materials containing high levels of pesticides can be harmful to health.
Also, canned green peas usually contain salt. Excessive consumption of salty foods can provoke diseases of the cardiovascular system and kidneys.
Which green peas are better, and what violations are typical for this category, you can find out by reading the results.
Delicious, healthy and reasonably priced, there seems to be no downside to canned peas. Although... wait a minute, there is still one thing: his mystery. This product is carefully hidden from the eyes of the consumer under dense packaging and a colorful label, and therefore choosing a can of peas from six or seven offered in the store and then not regretting it is not an easy task. You can be guided by the cost. You can rely on a manufacturer you already know. You can rely on intuition... Or you can “turn on” all five senses and act like a good detective.
We look carefully...
...for packaging. Of course, glass containers for canned food are better. Firstly, it will not hide stale (cloudy filling with a thick consistency) and overripe (shapeless, damaged) peas. And secondly, it will not enter into a chemical reaction with the contents of canned food.
But we often deal with tin cans, so we will choose from them. Let's carefully examine the surface of the selected sample: there should be no dents or swelling on the can - this is a clear sign of bombing. In other words, the product has deteriorated and gases have formed inside, which “damage” the container. By the way, unopened peas can be stored at room temperature, but if the container is open, it is better to keep them in the refrigerator and use them within several days.
...on the label. The manufacturer of the “correct” peas will definitely indicate his address, will not forget about the expiration date and storage conditions of the product, and will also describe the composition in detail. Give preference to canned foods that do not contain food additives, sweeteners or other flavor enhancers. Of course, manufacturers can claim that “chemistry” is necessary to preserve peas, but this is not so; heat treatment is quite sufficient. The ideal composition of canned food is, in fact, peas, water, sugar and salt.
...at the production date. Ideally, young, green and juicy peas should be selected for preservation “straight from the garden.” But in practice, dry peas that have been soaked and then preserved can end up in jars. To avoid being left with beans, carefully examine the product's manufacturing date. The best peas are produced at harvest time, usually in the summer, June or July. In addition, the date can “tell” whether the product is spoiled: the maximum shelf life is 5 years.
...for the pea variety. For canning, smooth-grain and marrow varieties are usually used. Smooth grain peas are large, round and smooth, beautiful and representative, with a mealy taste - they are added to salads and used to decorate dishes. The brain one is smaller, oval in shape, tasty, sweet and aromatic. It will also be good in salads, but unlike smooth grain, it will not just complement them, but will add its own unique flavor note. It also makes excellent pates, purees and pie fillings.
...by the weight of the main product (peas). Few people are interested in the amount of filling: only thrifty housewives use it for soups and sauces, but usually the brine is simply poured out. Another thing is the peas themselves. In tin cans that look exactly the same, it can be either 250 or 300 g. The difference is actually huge! After all, 50 g is two heaped tablespoons. This is exactly how many peas are needed to prepare two servings of Olivier salad or three bowls of pea soup.
Let's listen
Shake the can of peas slightly before placing it in the basket. An ideal product should make a minimum of sounds. If the peas helplessly hit the wall, it means there is not enough brine in the container. Gurgling and croaking contents indicate that there is a lot of air in the jar, which reduces the quality of the product. And only the rustling proves that the canned food was rolled according to all the rules.
Unfortunately, we can only “turn on” our senses of touch, smell and taste at home. But this is not bad either: next time we will know for sure which manufacturer is more decent. Moderately ripe and well-cooked peas feel elastic to the touch and offer little resistance when crushed. If they also smell nice, put them in your mouth without delay. Or add to dishes. Have no doubt: good canned peas will complement any salad, be it traditional vinaigrette, Olivier salad or less traditional meat and seafood salads. It is a welcome guest in soups, hot vegetable dishes, casseroles and pastas, such as with ham. They can be used to decorate roasts and pizza. It will make a delicious vegetarian pate and rice with vegetables... You never know what else! If only I had a jar of my favorite, proven peas in my bins, there would always be a use for it.
Pros and cons of green peas
Pros:
Lots of protein. There is no less of it in green peas than in beef (18-20 g per 100 g of product). This product will help replenish protein reserves during diets and fasts, especially in combination with cereals.
Satisfying. Thanks to the optimal combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as the high content of starches, peas take a long time to digest, which means they drown out the “eternal voice of hunger” for a long time.
Protection for the heart and blood vessels. Peas contain a lot of lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids, which have a good effect on the cardiovascular system. In Latin American countries, where legumes are in high demand, coronary heart disease is rare.
Minuses:
Gases. Peas are “heavy artillery” for delicate digestive organs, especially for those that are not very healthy. To avoid suffering from flatulence, give preference to canned food, it is easier to digest. And don’t turn peas into a meal on their own, but add little by little to salads and vegetable dishes. The more “neighbors” he has on the plate, the better.
High calorie content. 300 kcal/100 g is no less than in rice, and more than in bread. Therefore, those who are watching their figure should eat peas not in jars, but as part of mixed dishes.
