PURPLEHULL
Purplehull peas (southern peas) may be picked green and tender or may be harvested when the pods are completely purple. They are related to black-eyed peas, but most feel they are more flavorful than black-eyed peas.
The young green purplehull peas may be cooked in the pod pretty much anyway you would fresh green beans. Once they reach maturity and the pods are purple, they are shelled and cooked like dried beans. As for being good for you, Purplehullpea.com has an excerpt from the University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture where they state that "Nutritionally, southern peas {the purple hull pea is a member of the southern pea family} are a good source of protein and one of the best sources of dietary fiber available. They are also very high in folate, a form of B vitamin that is important in the prevention of anemia, cancer and birth defects. In fact, orange juice, which is often advertised as a good source of folate, has only about 10 percent of the amount found in a serving of southern peas." SUGAR SNAP They can be sautéed, steamed, added to stir frys, and are especially crunchy and sweet just snacked on raw. Be sure to snap off the stem and remove the string before cooking. Although a large portion of calories come from sugar, these peas are low in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and are a good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium. They are also a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron and vitamin K. (WH Foods, nutiritiondata)
Sugar snap peas are a cross between garden peas and snow peas and were only recently developed in the 1970’s. The pod is round as opposed to the flat pod of the traditional snow pea. Both the pod and pea are edible making preparation simple.
