Peas

Peas play a very important role in the human diet. Long since this legume culture was famous for its unique taste qualities, special nutrition and saturation.

In Ancient India and China, peas were considered a symbol of wealth and fertility, and in ancient Rome and Greece, it occupied a significant place among other products: it was often used in dishes prepared for kings, and was the food of a common commoner.

Read also:

• Benefit and harm of peas
• Recipes of dishes from peas

To date, a variety of dishes from peas is amazing. From this plant you can cook dozens of delicious dishes: boiled peas, grated, fried in oil, pea porridge with meat, pea soup, soup or kisel, pea pancakes, cutlets, sausage and much more. It can be confidently asserted that peas are in the lead among other vegetables in protein content, as well as the nutritional and energy that it gives. According to modern nutritionists, an adult should eat at least four kilos of green peas per year.

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Varieties of peas

Peas are one of the most ancient vegetable crops. Initially, this plant was spread in Holland, and then gained popularity in other European countries - France, Germany, Spain, etc. This legume is a self-pollinating plant, the fruit of which is a green bean. Of the two main groups of peas - fodder and vegetable - only the latter is used in human food. There are three vegetable varieties of peas, each of which has special culinary properties:

• flaking,
• cerebral,
• sugar.

To prepare soups, soups, cereals and other dishes, the most commonly used is shelling peas. This kind of pea is grown to obtain a green pea, which is used for canning. With the same purpose, a cereal variety of pea is used, the beans of which are shriveled peas, very sweet in taste. When cooking, the beans of the cereal variety do not become soft, so they are not suitable for preparing soups. Pods of sugar peas are used whole. Such a variety is grown for the sake of "blades" - unripe beans, which are used for food without hatching.

Peas are suitable for consumption, both fresh and frozen or canned. Most often it is added to borscht, soups, soup, salads, pates, omelets, and also used to prepare garnishes for fish and meat dishes. Some of the most common varieties are peas: Alfa, Viola, Oscar, Izumrud, Premium, Matrona, Nicholas, Ashton and others. Each of these varieties has its own characteristics, purpose and methods of cultivation. All varieties are high in protein. In addition, as part of this legume crops are essential amino acids, mineral salts and a balanced group of vitamins.

Composition of peas

Peas contain many useful ingredients. The composition of one green pea includes vitamins B, H, C, A and PP, magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, as well as dietary fiber, beta-carotene, starch, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, pea beans are rich in antioxidants - useful substances that delay oxidation. Peas contain protein, as well as minerals such as iodine, iron, copper, fluorine, zinc, calcium and many other important for the human body.

Dry pea contains: proteins - 23%, fats - 1.2%, carbohydrates - 52%, and the energy value of peas per 100 grams of the edible part is 298 kcal. Green peas are considered a dietary product in which: proteins - only 5%, and carbohydrates - 13%, with glucose and fructose account for half of all carbohydrates.

The composition of peas in large quantities includes selenium, which has a pronounced anti-carcinogenic effect. In addition, young green peas are able to "block" the entry into the human body of a number of harmful radioactive metals. Alternative medicine uses this legume crop for various purposes. For example, with the help of lotions of pea flour you can get rid of inflammatory infiltrates, acne, boils, abscesses and other skin problems. It should be noted that due to its unique composition, peas reduce the development of oncological diseases, as well as hypertension, stroke, heart attack, and contributes to inhibition of aging of the skin.

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Caloric content of peas

Peas are considered a low-calorie dietary product, although it contains enough calories to saturate the body - an average of 300 kcal per 100 grams of the product in dry form. The composition of peas is very similar to meat. The vegetable proteins contained in it are digested much faster than the proteins of meat. Due to these properties, peas can be used as an auxiliary natural remedy to prevent the development of anemia. Regular use of peas helps to reduce weight, because. This product has a beneficial effect on the digestive system, "adjusting" the work of the stomach and intestines, as well as improving the body's absorption of nutrients. Pea grains contain a lot of fiber, which successfully helps the body in cleaning the intestines from toxins, slags and other harmful substances. Therefore, this type of legume crops is of interest to people who follow the mass of their body.

Caloric content of peas depends on the type of product: more calories are contained in dried crushed peas (348 kcal / 100 g) because of the increased carbohydrate content, in boiled form its caloric content decreases - 115 kcal / 100 g. The caloric content of dried whole pea is 340 kcal, and Fresh green peas - 280 kcal. The lowest calorie content is found in green canned peas - only 55 kcal.

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Technological map of peas

The prevalence of such a planting culture, as peas, is due to both its unique useful properties and uncomplicated cultivation technology. The main task of growing all legumes is to increase the level of gross harvest, improve soil fertility, and increase the supply of vegetable protein.

The technological map of peas consists of the name and amount of work associated with the cultivation of this product, the composition of the unit and the maintenance staff, the calculation of costs and the economic efficiency of cultivation of this crop.

The main feature of growing peas is its short growing season, which allows sowing this culture in many countries of the world, including Ukraine. It should be noted that peas are early-maturing, undemanding in care, cold-resistant culture, which occupies a leading position among other leguminous plants by yield. Homeland of peas is considered South-West Asia, later this culture began to grow actively in Southern Europe. The age of peas is more than two thousand years.

Peas are considered to be a valuable food, as well as forage crops. The use of high-quality agricultural machinery in Ukraine makes it possible to obtain a seasonal crop of peas, an average of more than 4 tons. It is important to note that peas, as well as many other leguminous crops, contribute to the accumulation of useful nitrogen in the soil. In addition, after harvesting, many root remains of peas remain in the soil, which contain phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other microelements. It is these factors that influence the use of this culture as an intermediate link in the agronomic planning of crop rotation (alternation) between cereals and technical crops. Often, the following seeding sequence can be traced: cereal crop - a certain grade of pea - a technical crop. It is important to take into account that after planting peas a high yield of corn is formed, as well as winter wheat, sugar beet and other crops. To improve the productivity of peas during sowing, effective biopreparations are used. So, one of the mandatory conditions is pre-sowing treatment of pea seeds with special nitrogen-fixing drugs.

To fully grow peas, it is important to use deep plowing - up to 25 centimeters. Due to such plowing, aeration of the soil is observed, and this, in turn, has a positive effect on the growth of the root system of peas, and also increases the soil moisture reserves. As for the need for leguminous crops in the heat, it is not high: pea seeds can germinate at a temperature of 12 ° C; while the soil moisture level in order to ensure the optimum yield of peas should be from 70 to 80%. The period of pea sowing coincides with the time of sowing of early spring cereals. This is due to the fact that peas are a moisture-loving and cold-resistant plant, and belated seeding can greatly reduce yield. Of course, in the process of care for the sowing of peas, it is necessary to take appropriate measures for the effective destruction of weeds. The best results in combating pests and plant diseases are achieved by separate harvesting of this crop. Mowing is carried out when yellowing of pea beans is observed in 75%, and the moisture content of seeds is 40%. After harvesting and thorough cleaning of seeds, peas need to be inspected for damage by pests, in particular pea beans.

How to soak peas?

Peas before consumption must be thoroughly soaked. One of the main reasons for people's reluctance to include this legume culture in their diet is a long time of its preparation. In general, the process of cooking peas can take half a day, but because of this problem, one should not give up the pleasure to try hearty, tasty dishes from peas.

"How to soak peas?" - this question may interest every inexperienced mistress. The answer is simple: in cold water for 6-18 hours. Why does it take so long? The fact is that in its composition peas contain many kinds of starch. Slow evaporation of moisture converts starches into forms necessary for long anabiosis. It is because of such rigid forms of starch that a long cooking of peas takes place. However, it should be noted that the pea kernels contain special enzymes, which, when moisture gets in, begin to transfer the rigid starches into forms that are more suitable for germination and, accordingly, facilitate brewing. It is for this reason that before consumption peas are recommended to soak in water. The main thing is not to overexpose it to the state of souring.

When soaking for the first six hours of pea, oligosaccharides are removed, which are not practically processed by gastric juice, but are a good nutrient medium for bacteria that live in the rectum. Because of oligosaccharides, the "pea" effect of flatulence is known to all. In the process of soaking peas, the amount of oligosaccharides gradually decreases, and with each hour they become less, which makes the use of peas safer for the stomach.

Before dipping peas in water, it must be cleaned and removed from the darkened particles. For this purpose, it is necessary to disperse the pea beans on a hard surface, and then level to a layer in one pea. Soak it should be exclusively cold water, the level of which should be 2 cm above the pea. First, you must carefully mix the peas in the water, and after they settle, first pour the water out. Primary washing allows to get rid of technological dust, especially it concerns the crushed peas. Repeated washing with water allows to completely clear pea beans from debris, dust and unsuitable particles. After washing, they should be left alone for full swelling. The time of soaking the whole pea is 8 hours, the crushed peas are soaked less - 4-6 hours. After this time, the water should be completely drained, and only after carrying out such a procedure, the peas are ready for further cooking.

How to cook peas?

The technology of making peas is quite simple, but it requires compulsory execution of a number of consecutive actions. You can cook a variety of dishes from peas. The main thing is to correctly perform the step-by-step instruction of the recipe.

One of the most important stages in the preparation of this legume is pre-soaking. This stage promotes softening of peas, subsequently accelerates the cooking process and in principle determines the taste of the ready-made dish.

Peas are recommended to soak for the night with exceptionally cold water, which should cover all the peas by about two centimeters. Soaking time - not less than 6-8 hours, and if the container with soaked peas put in the refrigerator - then even more. Soaked peas should be washed again and poured again with cold water in a ratio of 1: 3, then put on a plate. The total amount of time for cooking peas is about an hour and a half. During cooking, you can add only boiling water, and before boiling off the water should be in time to remove the foam. The fact is that if you do not remove the foam from the boiled peas in a timely manner, it will acquire an unpleasant grayish shade.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to boil peas without pre-soaking. In this case, the owners will need the following express method of preparation. Pea beans should be thoroughly rinsed, filled with cold water and brought to a boil. Then the water must be drained, peas washed, poured cold water and again brought to a boil. This procedure should be done three times, after which cook the peas until ready. Use salt is recommended at the very end of cooking - so it will not allow peas to fully boil. When making pea puree or cream soup, it is necessary to obtain a homogeneous mass, so the peas should be thoroughly kneaded while they are still hot. Taking into account this nuance will prevent the formation of lumps.

How much do peas cook?

Peas - a unique legume crop, which is simply indispensable in cooking. From peas, you can cook a variety of dishes: like the first (soups, soup), and the second (porridge, mashed potatoes), as well as jelly, fritters, various snacks and even tea.

There is no unequivocal answer to this question, it all depends on the type and kind of peas, and also the hardness of the water. For example, whole peas need to cook for an hour and a half, and crushed usually brewed from 45 minutes to 1 hour. The age of pea grains also matters: the cooking time of the "old" pea can reach 2 hours.

When cooking peas, you must consider the important rules:

• the pan should be open;
• Before cooking, pea beans should be soaked in cold water;
• when soaking peas, it is important not to overexpose it in water, so that it does not sour;
• if pea croup is soft, it can be added immediately when cooking meat (the cooking time in this case will be one and a half hours);
• at cooking it is possible to add ¼ hour of a spoon of soda (on a glass of peas), - thus, time of preparation of the crushed peas will make 1 hour, and the whole - one and a half hour.

Peas must be tasted before the end of cooking. In a multivark, usually peas cook without soaking. For this, the "Quenching" mode is used, and the cooking time is 2 hours.

How to cook peas?

Peas can be used not only to make soup or porridge, from this unique vegetable can get a variety of dishes. The most important thing is that such dishes will not only be tasty, but also useful, since this wonderful representative of legumes is a rich source of protein, contains many micronutrients and useful vitamins. It is simply indispensable for heavy physical exertion, and during the fasting period nutritious and nutritious dishes from peas decorate the ration of each family.

This question is of interest to many housewives. This product can be used for the preparation of salads (for this purpose, the most commonly used canned peas). For example, with the help of peas prepare such popular salads, like olivier and vinaigrette. By the way, in addition to using peas, you can put whole pea pods in a salad.

Common dishes are soups-puree from peas, as well as porridges, kissels, side dishes, meatballs, cutlets, fritters. Peas can be used as a filling for pies, as well as add it to various mushroom dishes (julienne, ragout, etc.). Pea flour is an excellent ingredient for making delicious cakes, noodles, bread.

It should be noted that peas have long been considered a traditional ingredient of dishes in various countries around the world. So, a fairly common dish in the Caucasus is a pea soup with mutton called "bozbash". In Armenia, popular is the sweet soup chirapur, which is made from peas and dried apricots. Pea kulesh - a national dish of Ukrainians - is a kind of soup-puree, which is often served with cracklings.

To make a delicious cereal or soup of peas before cooking it, peas should be soaked with cold water, otherwise the porridge will turn out to be tasteless. Peas can be combined with other cereals: for example, with millet pea porridge will be much tastier. If you add roasted carrots and onions to pea porridge, the taste will be even stronger. It is desirable to combine pea soup with dill to avoid bloating and excessive gassing. In addition, it is not recommended to drink cold water immediately after eating peas.

How to cook peas in a multivariate?

Peas - a unique product that can be used to prepare all kinds of dishes in the multivark. For example, many housewives share recipes for cooking delicious pea puree - an unusually light and delicious side dish that will suit any dish made from poultry or a meat dish. In addition to excellent taste, this puree has nutritional properties. Of course, this dish will appeal to the whole family.

The recipe for mashed potatoes is quite simple: you need to take 1 cup of peas and soak overnight, or start cooking it right away. To do this, put washed peas in a bowl multivark and pour 2.5 glasses of water so that it completely covers the pea, add salt. Next, you need to turn on the "Quenching" mode for an hour and a half (for multivarieties that have a power of 700 watts or less). In the finished pea puree should be added 50 grams of butter. Such a hearty puree to taste like a thick pea soup puree.

In the multivark you can make pea porridge. For this, it is not necessary to pre-soak the peas in the water, because it will quickly boil. Water is better to use key or purified, then the cooking process will go faster. First you should rinse the peas and put them in the multivark, then pour hot water so that the croup was covered by a couple of centimeters. Then you need to season and season the croup, turn on the "Quenching" option and cook the porridge for 2 hours. During this time the peas will boil well, and the porridge will turn out very tasty, especially if you season it with butter and fresh dill.

Treatment with peas

Peas found their wide application not only in cooking for the preparation of various dishes, but also in alternative medicine, as it has a number of healing properties. There are many effective recipes from peas that will help get rid of health problems. Even the simple introduction of this legume culture into the diet will have a positive effect on the person's well-being.

Pea treatment is very effective. According to modern research, in pea proteins contain many essential amino acids, due to which you can reduce high blood pressure. Glutamine amino acid is especially valued, which actively feeds brain cells - it is also found in peas. In addition, the pea contains a complex of vitamins and essential minerals, of which the most important for the human body are salts of iron, calcium, selenium, magnesium, etc. Increased content in pea fiber helps to quickly remove harmful toxins from the body, as well as reduce the level cholesterol in the blood.

Peas are very useful for diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as anemia and hypovitaminosis. Since it helps to lower blood pressure, it helps with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and also irreplaceable for puffiness, diabetes, dry cough, tuberculosis. In any form, peas are recommended for protein deficiency and reduced blood clotting, various kidney and liver diseases, gum bleeding, hemorrhoids and age constipation, and dyspnoea.

It is proved that peas also have an antitumor effect, and the beneficial substances contained in green peas, both canned and frozen, take part in the processes of slowing the aging of the skin. Effective diuretic action is a decoction of pea grass. Such a drug promotes better dissolution of stones in urolithiasis. To reduce cholesterol in the blood, as well as with hypertension or atherosclerosis, dry peas must be ground in a coffee grinder to the state of flour. Take this flour for 1 teaspoon per hour before meals three times a day, with half a glass of water. Usually the course of treatment is 10 days, after which it is necessary to take a week break, and then repeat the treatment again.

When heartburn is recommended, eat 3-4 peas (both soaked in water, and fresh). Pea puree is useful for stomach ulcers: it should be taken 2 tablespoons twice a day before meals. Renal and urolithiasis is well treated with a pea-grass herb: 2 tablespoons of herbs should be filled with a half cup of boiling water, insist for an hour and drain. Use this decoction should be 2 tablespoons 4 times a day for several minutes before eating.

In the inflammatory processes of the skin (pimples, purulent wounds, eczema) it is recommended to take young peas: it must be crushed to a mushy condition and mixed evenly with egg white in raw form, and then the resulting mixture is applied to the inflamed place, covered with a thin film and fastened with a bandage . It is recommended to change this bandage 2-3 times a day.

It should be remembered that treatment with peas can sometimes be contraindicated. First of all, it is due to his ability to cause flatulence. That is why people who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, it is desirable to refrain from regular intake of peas, both in raw and cooked form. In addition, peas contain purines, so its use is highly undesirable for any violations of the exchange of minerals in the body. For this reason, peas should be excluded from the diet with gout, because it is due to this disease that an increase in the amount of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urate in the joints. Contraindicated frequent use of peas in conditions after a stroke or a heart attack, increased blood coagulability, as well as thrombophlebitis.

Peas with diabetes

Peas are not only delicious, but also nutritious: it contains many vitamins and beneficial microelements. This plant is not easy, because it has a number of healing properties. The pea contains substances necessary for diabetics, for example, arginine - a substance that acts in much the same way as insulin. In the process of making a menu for diabetics, the main rule is the selection of foods that help reduce blood sugar.

Peas in diabetics are really very useful. Undoubtedly, this product will not be able to replace the full effect of medicines, but it can create conditions for more effective assimilation of medicines, as well as enhance their therapeutic effect. Due to the low glycemic index of peas (total - 35) there is a slow absorption of sugars in the intestine. Proceeding from this, it can be confidently asserted that peas save a person from glycemia.

To prepare a healing decoction for diabetics, green young pods are especially valuable. 25 grams of young flaps must be crushed with a knife, pour 1 liter of water, and cook over low heat for 3 hours. Drink such a decoction in equal parts throughout the day. The duration of the treatment course should be at least 1 month.

Ripe peas are usually eaten raw. These little green balls contain a lot of vegetable protein, which serves as an alternative to proteins of animal origin. Pea flour is also useful. With diabetes, it is useful to use it portionwise before meals - 0.5 teaspoonful. For diabetics is very useful green peas in a frozen form, which can easily form the basis of a healthy diet in the winter.

Strict diet is one of the important conditions for the treatment of diabetes. In the diabetics menu, you can safely enter pea soup. To prepare this dish, green peas are the best in fresh form. But it is also possible to use this product in dry form. Such soup is preferably cooked on beef broth. In addition, the first water during cooking must be drained, after which the meat should be refilled with cold water and continue cooking. Thus, pea soup for diabetics should be prepared on a secondary broth. During cooking, potatoes are added, as well as onions and carrots fried in butter. As a result, the soup of peas turns rich, nutritious and very tasty.

At what age can peas be?

Peas contain a whole complex of vitamins, a large amount of protein, as well as microelements necessary for the body. It promotes the activation of the organs of the digestive tract, the nervous system and the brain. The unique properties of this representative of legumes put him in the row of the most useful food products.

Many mothers are interested in the question: "At what age can peas be given to children?" As a full dish, pea porridge or soup is recommended to enter the baby's diet only after 1-2 years. However, if a half-year-old child eats 1-2 spoonfuls of such soup, then there will be no harm to the body. Dishes from peas, like any new products, should be introduced into the baby's diet gradually, starting with 1-2 serving spoons. In this case, it is necessary to observe the reaction of the child. It should also be noted that peas, like other legumes, are considered dietary foods. Despite the fact that it contains a lot of protein, useful for the body, can cause excessive gas formation.

How to cook soup from peas for the benefit of the child? First of all, the basis of this dish is better to take vegetable broth, but you can also use meat broth. In this case, it is desirable to choose the pulp of low-fat meat and finely chop it. First, meat pieces should be put in a pan with cold water, and after boiling to take out, drain the water, then wash the meat again with cold water and pour boiling water. After a slow boil for half an hour, the broth will be ready. To peas better boil, it should be soaked in cold water from the evening. All ingredients prepared for cooking pea soup should be placed in the pan in order of decreasing time necessary for their preparation: first of all, peas, then carrots, potatoes and onions. Young mothers are recommended to cook pea soup puree in this way. The baby will be easier to eat, and his stomach will cope with the processing of food.

To prepare a "light" pea soup is best to use green peas in any form - fresh or frozen. Dish from green peas will be 100% dietary and will suit even children up to 3 years old. Such a pea soup can be introduced into the diet of children after 6 months. However, some products are not recommended for pea soup. Among them - fatty meat and smoked products, various spicy spices, as well as bouillon cubes.

Peas are one of the most useful food products, and this should be remembered when planning the menu. Moreover, the variety of dishes from peas allows you to choose the best option, taking into account individual taste preferences.

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