Pea is one of the most ancient legumes cultivated by mankind. One of the most beloved spring-summer delicacies for children and adults is young, sweet and fresh green peas, fresh from the garden, so it is useful to find out what else this plant can please us, besides the excellent taste.
Tastes and appearance
Bright green peas are enclosed in an oblong, cellular pod consisting of two halves of not less saturated color. Young legumes have a sweet, delicate flavor, peas are juicy and soft. In cooking, the most valuable are brain and sugar varieties, it is them that are frozen and preserved for the winter.
Chemical composition
As part of green peas, some organic acids, but almost the entire list of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body, as well as fiber and natural sugars. 
Vitamins
Peas contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, C, E, H, PP.
Learn how to make green peas for the winter: preserve, dry, freeze.
Minerals
- Macronutrients: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, chlorine.
- Trace elements: aluminum, boron, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, copper, molybdenum, nickel, tin, selenium, fluorine, chromium, zinc.
Calorie Product
For one hundred grams of the product accounts for only 55 calories.
Proteins fats carbohydrates
- Protein - 5 g.
- Fat - 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates - 8.3 g
Did you know? Austrian biologist, botanist and monk of the Augustinian order, Gregor Mendel, conducting experiments on peas, proved the existence of genes and the transmission of hereditary traits to them. Despite the fact that in 1865 skeptically reacted to its discovery, today the scientist is called the founder of the science of heredity.
What is the use of fresh green peas
Nutritionists are talking about the benefits of the product, and folk healers use the herbs of the plant in numerous medicinal recipes.
For adults
The product is useful and even recommended by doctors to people with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the liver and kidneys, vitamin deficiency. Dishes with legumes are useful for cleansing the blood of cholesterol, cleansing the liver of toxins, nitrates, degradation products of drugs. Peas are considered prophylactic against atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, bone fragility. The composition saturated with minerals and vitamins normalizes the endocrine system, hormones, which will positively affect the health of the reproductive system.
For kids
The product can be introduced into the children's complementary foods from eight months, if the baby has already tried vegetables, cottage cheese, meat. It is undesirable to give peas in raw form at such a young age, it is better after heat treatment in the form of mashed potatoes, for example. From one and a half years it is possible to give fresh small portions. 
The advantage of young peas over the old in less heavy for a gentle digestive tract of fiber, it also has less allergenicity. The product is useful for the growth of muscle, bone and connective tissue, joint mobility. Thanks to iodine, it normalizes the thyroid gland, improves brain function. Peas saturate the body with vitamins and minerals, strengthening the immune, cardiovascular, central nervous system, a positive effect on the digestive tract.
We advise you to find out how useful and how other legumes are used: beans, soybeans, clover, peanuts, chickpeas.
Can I eat peas pregnant and lactating
Fresh green peas are saturated with many beneficial elements for the normal course of pregnancy and fetal development: folic acid, magnesium, potassium, calcium, selenium, zinc, and others. Therefore, it is not necessary for women in a position to eat a product, however, you should not overdo it so as not to cause flatulence.
The same composition of nutrients will help nursing mother recover from childbirth, protect the immune system and replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals. Enter into the diet a fresh product should be in small portions, watching the behavior of the baby. 
When eating frozen food, you should not defrost it in the microwave; it is better to leave it for time for natural defrosting. Canned peas can be harmful due to the presence of chemical additives in it: preservatives, stabilizers and others.
Harm and contraindications
The purines in the composition of the culture during the destruction form uric acid, therefore it is not recommended to use in such conditions:
- gout;
- colitis;
- urine acid diathesis;
- urolithiasis disease.
Important! Excessive consumption of peas can cause bloating, heaviness in the stomach and increased gas formation.
Rules for choosing a quality product
The period of ripening culture begins in May-June, depending on the climate in the region. When choosing, it is better to give preference to the pods, in which the peas preserve juiciness and useful elements longer, rather than the already purified product. These qualities speak about freshness:
- bright green color;
- the absence of yellow and dark spots;
- soft and elastic skin of a pod.
How to save peas for the winter
Juicy culture can be preserved for the winter by freezing or preserving.
Frost
- The pods are washed under running water.
- Open the sash by pressing the fingers and shake the peas into a convenient bowl.
- The cleaned product for 1 minute is placed in a sieve, which is set over a pan of boiling water. The procedure will remove from the pulp of the substance, which during prolonged storage give bitterness in taste and a yellowish tint.
- After a minute, the sieve is removed from the boiling water and placed in a container with cold water.
- Then the peas are scattered on a kitchen towel until completely dry.
- The next stage is to place in the freezer, it is advisable to freeze it in a scattered form, and then decompose in portions or containers.
Preservation
Ingredients (six cans of 0.5 liters):
- green peas - about 2,800 kg;
- sugar -1 tbsp. l .;
- salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
- 9% vinegar - 100 ml.
Cooking:
- Clean the pods, sort, severing damaged peas. Then rinse under running water.
- Next, peas need to pour into the pan and pour water to cover completely. Put on medium heat. After boiling, you need to monitor the foam, in time to remove it. Fire down and cook for about 15 minutes.
- You should prepare the marinade: pour a liter of water into the pan, add a tablespoon of sugar and salt, leave to dissolve and boil.
- Ready peas to fold in a colander, then sprinkle on sterilized jars, leaving about 1.5 cm to the edge of the jar.
- In a boiling marinade add 100 ml of vinegar, let boil. Pour hot in a jar, cover with a lid (loosely) and put on sterilization.
- At the bottom of the pot, put a thick cloth on the bottom, place cans on top of it and pour warm water into the pot so that it does not fall into the container when boiling. The contents of the saucepans should boil for fifteen minutes, then the lids should be rolled up, and the jars should be turned over and left to cool, wrapped in a blanket.
Did you know? The appearance on their tables green peas, the French are obliged to Marie de Medici. The future queen brought with her personal chefs and her own recipes, where the product was not the last.
More on benefits: how to make a mask of young peas
The cosmetic properties of the culture are due to the presence of beauty vitamins: A, C, E, as well as a large number of minerals involved in the structure and regeneration of cells, including skin and nail plates, which have a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair.
For skin
Mask for dry skin. Puree two tablespoons of boiled product mixed with the same amount of apple juice and yolk. Mass applied to the face with a thin layer, rinse off when the mixture dries, and begin to tighten the skin. After washing, apply a nourishing cream with a light texture. For heavily dried skin, the mask is applied three times a week for a month. 
For normal skin. Dried peas crushed into flour, one tablespoon of flour mixed with a teaspoon of olive oil and yolk. Mass applied to the face and neck for twenty minutes, wash off with cool water. Can be used twice a week.
For oily skin. Grind two tablespoons of peas into puree, add two tablespoons of whey, mix. Apply to the cleansed face and neck for twenty minutes. Wash off with warm water.
For hair
Flour is prepared from the dried green raw material using a coffee grinder. Flour is poured over boiled water and left for twelve hours. The resulting mass is used instead of shampoo: applied to the hair, distributing over the entire length, not forgetting the roots. Leave for half an hour, then rinse under warm running water. Flour, in addition to strengthening the hair, qualitatively cleanse them from dirt and fatty secretions.
How to lose weight on green peas
Due to the low calorie content and an impressive list of vitamins and minerals, the product is used for weight loss. The basis of the diet is stewed or fresh green peas for lunch, the main meal.
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Approximate diet for the day:
- breakfast: muesli;
- lunch: risotto with peas;
- snack: a glass of kefir or pear;
- dinner: bran bread, a slice of cheese.
Important! Diet eliminates fatty, spicy, salty foods; sweet pastries and bread made from wheat flour; drinks with sugar, soda.Plus, the diet is that the fiber of the legume plant removes excess fluid, prevents the deposition of cholesterol and salts, improves metabolism and digestion. Observe it can be no more than two or three weeks.
Summing up: The use of the bean product is indisputable and tangible for the body, it is useful both to children and the elderly, serves as a preventive measure against many diseases, has practically no contraindications, including those with excess weight. The only thing you need to remember: the legume culture causes bloating of the intestines, it should be used in moderation.
