A jar of green peas in the bins is a must-have for every housewife, especially in the autumn-winter period, when such salads as Olivier, salad with cod liver, squid, etc. become popular. It is so tasty and healthy that, it would seem, what disadvantages can it have? In fact, there is something to think about here, so we suggest that you get to know this wonderful product better and find out what are the benefits and harms of canned green peas, how to choose the right one.
And here are its best features:
- High content of vegetable protein. It is contained here up to 18-20 gr. per 100 gr. product. Because of this, it is great for eating during diets and fasting, especially when consumed with cereals.
- The optimal combination of protein and carbohydrates. Thanks to this, peas become a very satisfying product with a minimum calorie content (only 60-70 kcal per 100 g). Due to the high protein content, it digests for a long time, maintaining a feeling of satiety.
- Protects the heart and blood vessels. Peas contain very important unsaturated fatty acids and lecithin 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 it has no drawbacks. Is it a little heavy for digestive system, and in people with a weak gastrointestinal tract can cause flatulence. 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 cannot know what is inside, so try to navigate by the following indicators.
Package
If it is possible to choose a glass container, great - here you can immediately see how high-quality the product is in color and density. For example, cloudy, thick filling hides stale or immature fruits. If you still choose a tin can, then first look at its integrity - there should not be any dents or swelling here. This indicates a defective product.
Label
The label of a quality product always provides comprehensive information: the manufacturer's legal address, expiration date and packaging date, detailed composition. The composition should not contain any food additives, sweeteners, preservatives. Some manufacturers argue that additives are necessary for the preservation of the product, but this does not apply to products with heat treatment - after all, when you close jars of jam at home, you do not add anything there for safety. The ideal composition of canned peas is simple - water, peas, salt, sugar.
Pea variety
In conservation, only two types of peas are usually used - brain and smooth grain. The first oval, sweet, fragrant, tasty - great for salads, pâtés and toppings. The second is larger, smooth, beautiful with a floury aftertaste. Also great for salads and garnishing dishes.
Tasting
Unfortunately, tasting is available only after purchase. But, after trying once, you will already know for sure whether it is worth buying a similar product next time. High-quality and ripe fruits are quite elastic to the touch, they have little resistance, not falling apart at the slightest touch. Good peas smell good. There should be no sediment in the pour, ideally the brine should be transparent.
Delicious, healthy and moderately priced - there seems to be no downside to canned peas. Although… wait a minute, there is one: its mystique. This product is carefully hidden from the eyes of the consumer under tight packaging and a colorful label, and therefore choosing a can of peas from six or seven offered in the store and not regretting it later is not an easy task. You can be guided by the cost. You can rely on an already familiar manufacturer. You can rely on intuition ... Or you can “turn on” all five senses and act like a good detective.
We are carefully watching...
... for packaging. Of course, glass containers for canned food are better. Firstly, stale (cloudy filling of a thickish consistency) and overripe (shapeless, damaged) peas will not hide under it. 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 not be any dents or swelling on the can - this is a clear sign of bombing. In other words, the product deteriorated and gases formed inside, which “damaged” the container. By the way, closed peas can be stored at room temperature, but if the container is open, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator, using it within a few days.
...to the label. The manufacturer of the “correct” peas will definitely indicate his address, do not forget about the expiration date and storage conditions of the product, and also describe the composition in detail. Choose canned foods that are free of additives, sweeteners, and other flavor enhancers. Of course, manufacturers can claim that "chemistry" is necessary for the preservation of peas, but this is not so, heat treatment is quite enough. The ideal composition of canned food is, in fact, peas, water, sugar and salt.
...at the date of manufacture. Ideally, young, green and juicy peas “straight from the garden” should be selected for preservation. But in practice, dry peas, which are soaked and then canned, can get into jars. In order not to stay on the beans, carefully study the date of manufacture of the product. The best peas are produced at harvest time, usually in the summer, in June or July. In addition, the date can "tell" whether the product is spoiled: the maximum shelf life is 5 years.
... for a variety of peas. For canning, smooth grain and brain varieties are usually used. Smooth-grained peas are large, round and smooth, beautiful and representative, with a mealy taste - they are added to salads, used to decorate dishes. Brain is smaller, oval, tasty, sweet and fragrant. It will also be good in salads, but unlike smooth grains, it will not just complement them, but add its own unique flavor note. It also makes excellent patés, purees and pie fillings.
... by the mass of the main product (peas). Few people are interested in the amount of pouring: only economical housewives use it for soups and sauces, but usually the brine is simply poured out. Another thing is the pea itself. In absolutely identical-looking tin cans, it can be 250 or 300 g. The difference is actually huge! After all, 50 g is two tablespoons with a slide. That's how many peas you need to cook two servings of Olivier salad or three bowls of pea soup.
We listen
Shake the jar of peas lightly before placing them in the basket. An ideal product should produce a minimum of sounds. If the peas helplessly beat against the wall, then there is not enough brine in the container. Gurgling and croaking contents indicate that there is a lot of air in the can, which reduces the quality of the product. And only rustling proves that canned food was rolled up according to all the rules.
Unfortunately, we can only “turn on” the sense of touch, smell and taste at home. But this is not bad: next time we will know for sure which manufacturer is more decent. Moderately mature and well-cooked peas are firm to the touch and offer little resistance when crushed. If at the same time they also smell pleasant, put them in your mouth without delay. Or add to meals. Rest assured, a good canned pea will brighten up any salad, whether it's a traditional vinaigrette, Olivier, or less traditional meat and seafood salads. He is a welcome guest in soups, hot vegetable dishes, casseroles and pastas, such as ham. They can decorate roasts and pizza. It will make a delicious vegetarian pate and rice with vegetables ... But you never know what else! There would be a jar with your favorite, proven peas in the bins, and there will always be a use for it.
Pros and cons of green peas
Pros:
Lots of protein. In green peas it is no less than in beef (18-20 g per 100 g of product). This product will help replenish protein during diets and fasting, especially when combined with cereals.
Satisfying. Due to the optimal combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as the high content of starches, peas are digested for a long time, which means that they drown out the “eternal voice of hunger” for a long time.
Protection for the heart and blood vessels. Peas are rich in lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids, which have a good effect on the cardiovascular system. In Latin American countries, where legumes are highly valued, coronary heart disease is rare.
Minuses:
Gases. Peas are "heavy artillery" for the delicate digestive organs, especially for those who are not very healthy. In order not to suffer from flatulence, give preference to canned food, it is easier to digest. And do not turn peas into an independent meal, but add little by little to salads and vegetable dishes. The more "neighbors" he has on the plate, the better.
High calorie. 300 kcal/100 g is no less than rice and more than bread. Therefore, those who follow the figure should eat peas not in jars, but as part of mixed dishes.
It is a popular ingredient in salads. It is used as a side dish for meat dishes and for other purposes. This product has many useful properties that are preserved during conservation. It is a canned product of this type that is most often used in cooking, since fresh green peas retain their juiciness and other qualities for a short time after harvest.
Quality standards for green peas
Helps to select and evaluate peas GOST R 54050-2010, which applies to natural canned food of such a product. According to this standard, peas are divided into products of the highest, first and second commercial grade.
- The grains must be whole and without impurities of the shells.
- The presence of brown fodder peas in canned food is excluded.
- The smell is weak, natural, characteristic of canned green peas. Foreign tastes and aromas should not be.
- The color of the grains is uniform in one package, light green or olive.
- The highest grade is characterized by a soft homogeneous texture. For the first, a soft, heterogeneous and for the second, a harder, heterogeneous consistency.
- The fill should be transparent with a greenish or olive tint.
- Depending on the variety, up to 6-10% of the mass fraction of broken grains is acceptable.
- Products of the first and second grade may have a slight starchy taste.
- Single grains are possible, differing in color from the main mass of peas.
- A slight sediment of pulp particles and a slight turbidity are acceptable for premium products.
- It may be with a precipitate in the form of starch and a cloudy filling of green peas, GOST allows this for goods of the first and second grade.
- Mineral and other foreign impurities should not be.
- The mass fraction of directly peas in canned food is at least 60%.
How to choose green peas?
The GOST provides information on what the product should be. But in the store it is in a package, usually in an iron can. How in such a situation to understand which peas are better? There are several tips for buyers to help in this matter.
- Choose jars with the production date printed in ink. If it is cut into the paper label or embossed into the bottom of the lid, it indicates outdated canned pea production equipment.
- The best choice is green peas that were canned in May or June, as you can tell by the production date. During these months, young, but already mature peas are harvested.
- Choose products made in accordance with GOST, which must have a commercial grade - the highest, first or second.
- You can shake a jar of peas. If there is no sound of iridescent pouring, then the manufacturer did not spare the product for canned food. The presence of knocking thuds indicates old and hard peas in a jar with a small amount of filling. It is better not to buy such a product.
When you open canned green peas, pay attention to the color of the grains. If they are green, such products can be used for salads and as a side dish. A yellowish color indicates overripeness and greater rigidity of the peas. Such a product is best used in cooking, adding to various dishes with additional processing: boil, stew, and so on. Brown grains of peas - marriage, they should not be eaten.