Green Peas or Green Pearls... hard to tell. Thanks to Catherine de Medici for bringing the fresh green garden pea with her to France from Italy when she married Henry II in 1533. The new little peas were such a novel change from the dried peas that had become peasant fare that they created a new vogue in French cuisine. Since the 1500s the French have been known for their little green peas, 'petit pois.' The green pea found its way to North America and one avid gardener named Thomas Jefferson loved them so much that he had 30 varieties of them planted in his garden. When canned vegetables came into vogue in the late 1800s the Campbell Soup Company began canning peas in 1870. I am sure we can all relate to the dull olive green colour and distinct flavour of canned peas, (the heat of the canning process destroys the chlorophyll.) Luckily frozen vegetables appeared in the 1920s, and this meant that peas could be harvested and frozen almost immediately before their sugars turned to starch, a process that begins within hours of harvesting.
Not sure how fresh these 'fresh' peas were that I purchased at the Farmers Market, but they were yummy!
Don't you love opening their little zippers to get at the green pearls?
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