Peas are important legume crop that provides a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that are beneficial to human health. Peas are cultivated in almost all over the world. It is considered as an essential part of the human diet. Canada is the biggest producer of peas around the world, followed by China, Russia, and India. The biological activity and health benefits of pea are usually associated with its nutrients and bioactive ingredients.
Chemical Composition and Nutrition facts of Peas
- Starch: Amylose and amylopectin are regarded as the main types of starches. Their ratio remarkably influences the physicochemical properties of starches. The pea starches contain a high content of amylose, in the range of 17.2–42.6%, and the wrinkled pea contains more amylose than the round pea. The pea starches with higher amylose contents may be endowed with increased resistance to digestion. Based on the digestive index, the estimated glycemic index (eGI) of isolated pea starches ranged from 69.8 to 70.7.
- Dietary Fiber: Dietary fiber is the main non-digestible carbohydrates, It can provide various health benefits via regulating gut microbial composition. Dietary fiber is commonly divided into soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) based on its water solubility. Pea seeds are rich in dietary fiber, which range from 23.23% to 30.72%, with 3.91–8.01% of SDFs and 19.32–23.1% of IDFs. Pea can be a dietary source for the prevention of diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
- Proteins: Pea protein is commonly classified into four categories, namely, globulin, albumin, prolamin, and glutenin. Globulin is the main storage protein, accounting for about 55–65% of the total protein in field peas. Pea protein primarily consists of 7S/11S globulin and 2S albumin. It has a large content of lysine which can make up for the lack of lysine in cereal-based diets.
- Lipids: The content of lipids in pea seeds is relatively low. This makes the pea a low-fat food. Pea lipids usually consist of polyunsaturated fatty acids, ranging from 42.01% to 60.68% of total fatty acids. It is relatively low content of unsaturated fatty acids.
- Minerals and Vitamins: The pea is a potential source of several minerals (e.g., nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus). Mineral element content (e.g., nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, and zinc) varies among different genotypes of pea seeds. Several vitamins are also found in peas, such as α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol.
Varieties of Peas
There are many types of peas. Some of them are as follows:
A. English Peas
English peas are sometimes called garden peas or pod peas. They have a fresh and slightly grassy flavor that is the essence of spring. English peas are wonderful puréed and made into a creamy soup or spread. They add bright points of color and flavor to pilafs, risotto, fried rice, pasta and soups. While selecting English peas, it must be checked that pods are bright green and feel heavy. English peas are best eaten the day they are purchased. If it is necessary to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. There are different types of English peas which are given below:
| Spring Peas | Lincoln Peas |
| Survivor Peas | Early Perfection |
| Wando Peas | Maestro |
| Garden Sweet | Little Marvel |
| Thomas Laxton | Misty Shell |
B. Snow Peas
Snow peas or Chinese peas are popular in East Asian cuisines. You can instantly tell snow peas from English peas because they have a flat shell with no pea-shape seeds inside. Unlike English peas, these peas feature edible pods and are cultivated for their pods rather than the seeds inside. Some snow peas are as follows:
| Mammoth Melting Sugar | Snowbird |
| Sugar Daddy | Gray Sugar |
| Oregon Sugar Pod | Avalanche Pea |
| Oregon Sugar Pods #2 |
C. Sugar Snap Peas
Sugar snap peas look identical to English peas. However, they have a slightly more cylindrical pea pod than the English pea variety. These peas contain characteristics of both of their parent pea varieties. Like English peas, the seeds need to become plump and round before they are shelled. However, the pods are thick, crunchy, crisp, and edible. Sugar snap peas are more tolerant of hot weather than English peas. Sugar snap peas are of different types:
| Sugar Bon | Sugar Ann |
| Sugar Snap | Sugar Snappy |
| Super Sugar Snap VP |
How to grow peas
for planting pea, it is necessary to soak the seeds in water overnight to speed up their germination. Peas must grow in backyard garden before, otherwise sprinkle the seeds with legume inoculant. Inoculants can be easily bought at a garden center or nursery. First, select a spot in full sun, and then, prepare the soil by loosening it to at least 7 inches.
If ample amount of peas is planted, then it’s a good idea to install a trellis. That’s because most peas plants need something to climb up as they grow. It is essential to plant peas in two separate rows, one on each side of the trellis. Also, peas must be planted 1 to 2 inches apart. It won’t need to thin pea plants as they will grow perfectly with this spacing. During all this process, keep the soil soft and moist until peas are to be germinated, which usually takes about ten days.
Health Benefits of Peas
Supports Heart Health:
Peas are naturally high in potassium, folate, and fiber. All these nutrients provide well-established cardiovascular benefits. The high-quality protein, low sodium levels, vitamins and minerals in peas make them a good addition to a heart-healthy eating plan.
May Help Reduce Risk of Cancer:
Several types of cancers are believed to be prevented by plant-based eating. Peas are a great source of protein for vegetarian meals. It is considered as a portion of your processed snack foods or meat intake.
Promotes a Healthy Gut:
Pea proteins are used to increase the population of healthy gut bacteria, specifically Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. A healthy gut is responsible for a range of healthy body functions such as a strong immune system and a functional digestive tract. Eating peas may help support a healthy gut microbiome.
Aids Weight Management:
The fiber and protein in peas make them a filling, nutritious food choice. Green peas and other legumes are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for weight control because of their low-calorie density. Peas make it easy to follow a healthy meal plan for weight loss.
Processing of Peas and Its Components
Different processing techniques have been applied to process peas and their components, thereby expanding their applications in the food industry.
1. Drying
The harvested fresh seeds of peas are susceptible to germination or mildewing. Therefore, the drying technique can be a potential way to reduce the post-harvest losses. The drying temperature possesses a remarkable effect on the final quality of peas. Thermal treatment at 55 ◦C is considered as the most suitable temperature, as it does not exhibit any peeling or loss in flavor of the peas. The ultrasound-assisted heat pump intermittent drying (UHPID) technique is relatively slow in the drying process compared to other drying methods. But it can notably decrease energy expenditure and promote seed vigor to a certain extent.
2. Milling
Milling utilizes mechanical force to break down particles into smaller pieces or fine particles. These particles can be used to make pea flour from peas for further processing or direct consumption. Different milling methods and grinding conditions can affect the chemical components and some physicochemical characteristics of pea flours.
3. Soaking
Soaking is an important process that takes place before other food processing treatments such as cooking, microbial fermentation, and germination. It does not significantly alter the chemical compositions of pea flours but does have some impacts on their physicochemical properties.
4. Cooking
The cooking quality is measured by the firmness and cooking loss of cooked beans. It can be determined by composition, nutritional, and physicochemical properties. Cooking brings about several changes in the chemical composition of peas. The concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in pea flours significantly decrease when using traditional cooking.
Storage and Food Safety
It is necessary to keep fresh and unwashed peas in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Sooner you eat the peas, sweeter they will taste. Peas must be washed under running water before shelling. Fresh shelled peas can also be frozen by blanching them in boiling water for 2 minutes, transferring them to an ice bath, draining them, and placing them in freezer bags. Fresh peas will keep for up to 1 year in the freezer. Frozen and canned peas stay fresh until their best-by date. Frozen and canned peas do not need to be cooked, just warmed up or added to other dishes.
Applications of Peas
- Pea Beverages and Yoghurts: Pea seeds can be made into pea milk by directly soaking and mixing with fresh water. Pea milk can be easily turned into pea yogurts by lactic acid bacteria fermentation. To meet the nutritional needs of humans, pea beverage fortification can be achieved by enriching the nutrients lost during processing.
- Germinated Pea Products: Peas can be used in a less processed form such as pea sprouts and microgreens. Germination can be widely applied to edible seeds to improve their phytochemical compositions and biological functions. Pea sprouts are rich in minerals and polyphenolics.
- Pea Flour-Incorporated Products: Pulse flours can be added to food to promote their functional properties and nutritional content as well as product quality. Pea flours could be incorporated into the wheat bread formulation. This will promote the quality and nutritional properties of the final products. Complete substitution of wheat flour with either pea flours or combined pea proteins and pea starches result in pea-based cakes with more nutritional characteristics than those of wheat cakes.
- Meat Alternatives: Pea components, such as proteins, starches, and fiber, have been utilized in the development of various forms of meat and meat alternatives. Pea proteins may detract from food properties but have shown excellent properties in the development of manufactured meat products.
Conclusion
Peas are rich in macronutrients, including proteins, starches, dietary fiber, and non-starch polysaccharides. Polyphenols, especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, are important bioactive ingredients that are mainly distributed in the pea coats. Anti-nutritional factors, such as phytic acid, lectin, and trypsin inhibitors may hinder nutrient absorption. Pea seeds can be processed by different techniques such as drying, milling, soaking, and cooking to improve their functional properties.
FAQs
Q. What would be the growing duration for peas?
A. It depends on the variety. Roughly, peas take 50 to 75 days to mature.
Q. Is it necessary for peas plant to take full sun?
A. Yes, most pea varieties need full sun to grow adequately.
Q. How many peas does someone get from one plant?
A. It is estimating 30-40 edible pods that can be produced by a healthy pea plant.
Q. Is it possible to produce peas more than once?
A. Yes, someone harvests the edible pods as they mature, and it’ll have a continuous harvest until weather conditions are inhospitable for the plant.
Q. Which month would be suitable for planting peas?
A. It depends on frost dates. It’s best to sow peas in early spring or mid-spring. In warmer zones, they can be sown in fall. Most of the time, this means February through April or October.
