I remember the first time that I had pea shoots. My youngest son’s pre-school class had gone on a field trip to an organic farm, and I was a chaperone. As part of our tour, they cut pea shoots that were growing and handed them out for us to try. I was not a big “greens” fan at that point, so I wasn’t crazy excited to eat anything with stems and leaves. Since I was trying to be a good sport for my son and his friends, I ate them and tried to not make a face. The second I tasted them though, I knew that I didn’t need to act like they were good because they really were good. In fact, they were delicious! If you haven’t tried pea shoots, I’m here to tell you why this vegetable may just become a regular on your springtime menu as well as why they’re so good for you, how much they cost and how to eat them. 

What Are Pea Shoots?

Pea shoots are essentially baby garden pea plants. Since peas are vining plants, pea shoots are the leaves, stems and in some varieties tendrils from the tops of the very young plants. While the peas themselves take 65-80 days before they’re ready to harvest¹, pea shoots can be eaten within 2-4 weeks² when they’re several inches tall. Because peas do best in mild to cool weather, pea shoots are available in spring, early summer in some places, and fall. If you’re wondering if they taste more like a pea or more like a green, the answer is both. They actually have a very sweet pea flavor, with a similar texture of leafy greens. 

The texture of pea shoots is one of the reasons why I like them so much. While they’re full of healthy nutrients like leafy greens, the fact that you eat the tender stems makes the texture similar but slightly different. This offers some variety for someone who eats a lot of greens! 

Nutrients in Pea Shoots

From a nutritional standpoint, pea shoots may be baby plants, but they pack an adult-sized punch. They’re high in water, low in fat, low in carbohydrates, and a good source of fiber. They also have high amounts of Vitamins C, E and A and potassium³. 

Health Benefits of Pea Shoots

Because of its high nutritional profile, pea shoots offer many health benefits. The high levels of Vitamin C and E act as antioxidants and help the immune system to work properly^6,7. Vitamin A is important for vision, immune function, reproduction and cellular communication⁸. And your body needs potassium for proper kidney and heart function as well as for optimal muscle and nerve health⁹. 

In addition, pea shoots have a high carotenoid profile³. These act as antioxidants that protect cells and help to block the early stages of cancer. 

How to Buy, Store and Eat Pea Shoots

Pea shoots are abundant at farmers’ markets in the spring, early summer and fall. While they will come already bagged up, be sure and check to make sure that they look fresh and not wilted. 

To store them, wrap them in a paper towel and leave them in an open plastic bag. You don’t want to wash pea shoots until you’re ready to use them. When you do wash them, do it gently under cold water. I like to put mine in a colander and just gently toss them around under the running water. 

You’ll also probably want to trim off any extra-long stems that don’t have leaves. While the stems are very tender, it’s the combination of the leaves and the stems that make these so tasty. 

The nice thing about pea shoots is that they are delicious raw, or you can cook them in a skillet like you would with a stir-fry. If you’re cooking them, you’ll want to do it for a very short time, just before you’re planning to serve the dish. My favorite ways to eat pea shoots are mixed in with salads, on sandwiches or in an omelet. 

Cost of Pea Shoots

The important thing to remember is that a cup of pea shoots goes a long way in any recipe. While you can certainly make an entire salad or side dish out of them, they are usually used to complement or add to something else that you’re serving. I generally pay about $4 for a bag that contains just over three cups. That’s about $1.30 per cup. A cup is definitely a good size serving for however I’m using them. 

Lean on Your Community

Have you tried pea shoots? If so, let us know in the comments how you like to fix them. 

Sources

1. NC Cooperative Extension Chatham County Center. Plant Peas, Please.https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/02/plant-peas-please/
2. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. Tufts University Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. https://nesfp.org/world-peas-food-hub/world-peas-csa/produce-recipes/pea-shoots
3. J. Santos, M. Herrero, J.A. Mendiola, M.T. Oliva-Teles, E. Ibáñez, C. Delerue-Matos, M.B.P.P. Oliveira. April 2014. Food Research International. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996914000799?casa_token=pbsqBC0jOy4AAAAA:nnA1mHt5TbqQxo03aH0sc1LBFjH6nfTBl5WgBnSX85C6h_mSbq6YVJMhZBIVbIlhFlKz5Is0
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/506159/nutrients
5. Cronometer. https://cronometer.com
6. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
7. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/
8. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
9. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables. https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-2013/dark-green-leafy-vegetables/

The post Seasonal Produce Spotlight: The Health Benefits of Pea Shoots appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

As I started incorporating more fresh vegetables into my diet, I decided to get more adventurous and brussels sprouts entered the picture. Thank goodness! They’re in season for most of the United States during the fall and winter, so I associate them with cozy dinners that warm me up from the inside out when it’s cold outside. 

As part of the cabbage family, I think this misunderstood vegetable gets some of its negative reputation because of how bitter it can be. It’s also thought of as a slimy, smelly, mushy blob that’s in no way appealing to think of eating. If that’s what you think of when it comes to brussels sprouts, what you were eating was definitely not prepared correctly. When it’s cooked properly, you don’t even notice the bitterness because you’re focusing on the tremendous flavor they offer that’s different than many of the other vegetables that we eat. They’re also not slimy, mushy or smelly. 

The key to eating brussels sprouts is that they should be fresh. The fresher they are, the better the flavor¹. Getting them at your local farmer’s market is ideal because you know that they’re going to be extremely fresh. If you buy them from the grocery store, be sure to eat within a couple of days of buying them. This is even true with the ones bought locally. Eat them as soon as possible! 

While you can buy brussels sprouts frozen or can freeze them yourself, I personally wouldn’t recommend it. In my experience, that’s where they can tend to get mushy, and mushy is not what I want from my brussels sprouts. That’s why they’re best enjoyed in abundance while they’re in season. 

Besides their great taste, brussels sprouts are incredibly nutritious. According to the University of Illinois Extension’s Watch Your Garden grow series, half a cup cooked offers 2 grams of protein, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber (so 5 net carbs), 247 mg of potassium, 48 mg of Vitamin C, 47 mcg of folate and 561 IU of Vitamin A¹.  

An additional benefit is that they provide a very affordable side dish or base for a main meal. You can usually buy them for around $2.50/lb, and a pound will easily serve an entire family. 

Here are a couple of recipes for how to fix brussels sprouts the “right way.” Trust me, if you’ve had a bad experience with them in the past, it’s time to put that behind you. If you’re missing out on brussels sprouts, you’re truly missing out on one of nature’s delicacies. 

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts **The main way my family eats them. 
• Brussels Sprout Hash and Eggs

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