Peas M ost home gardeners in Maine try to have peas to harvest by the Fourth of July. Today, Mainers don't have to wait for that deadline. You can add peas to the menu earlier when you buy them at local farmers' markets and vegetable stands. Common types that you will find in the market are shell, snow and sugar-snap. Snow and sugar-snap peas are eaten with the shell.
All peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, folate, iron and phosphorus.
Green peas are second only to lima beans as a fresh vegetable source of protein. Only about five percent of all green peas grown come to the market fresh. Frozen peas retain their color, flavor and nutrients better than canned and are lower in sodium. Snow peas are lower in protein since their seeds are very small, however they provide twice the calcium and slightly more iron than green-shelled peas. All peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron and phosphorus.