Sugar snap peas are in prime season from late winter through the end of spring.

Sugar snap peas, sometimes just called sugar peas or snap peas, are edible-podded peas, meaning that you eat the whole pod (photo #3).

Their name can get confused with another popular edible pod also found in Asian recipes: snow peas.

The difference:

 
We love snap peas simply steamed, in stir fries and salads.

> Here are more ways to use sugar snap peas.

> Bonus: At just 41 calories per cup, sugar snap peas are a very good source of vitamins A and C and a good source of iron.
 
 
THANKS TO HELLO FRESH

Today we share three recipes from Hello Fresh, America’s most popular meal kits.

The first recipe follows; the other two can be found on the Hello Fresh website.

They include:

 
 
RECIPE: BLACK PEPPER PARMESAN SUGAR SNAP PEA CHIPS

We like these “chips” as as plate garnish, a snack, a side with a sandwich, or a topper for salads.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 450°F.

2. LINE a baking sheet linked with aluminum foil or parchment paper (this makes cleanup that much easier).

3. PLACE the sugar snap peas in a single layer on the sheet.

4. COAT the peas with olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Toss to coat thoroughly.

NOTE: For better coverage, we prefer to toss these ingredients in a bowl before adding to the baking cheet.

5. BAKE until crispy, 7-8 minutes. Enjoy hot, at room temperature or chilled.

[1] Baked sugar snap pea “chips” with parmesan (photos #1 and #2 © Hello Fresh).

[2] Add sugar snap peas to crostini as a topper for ricotta or goat cheese. Here’s the recipe.

[3] Sugar snap peas are eaten whole, but here’s what’s inside (photo © Good Eggs).

Botanically, peas are fruits, not vegetables.

Fruits are not necessarily sweet. Tomatoes are fruit, avocados are fruit, hot chiles are fruits, cucumbers and squash are fruits.

Because they aren’t sweet, people think of them (and classify them in recipes and produce departments) as vegetables.

The Difference Between Fruits & Vegetables

By botanical definition, fruits have their seeds on the inside; the only exception is the strawberry. With fruits, the seeds, or pits, are contained in the fruit’s ovary sac. True vegetables have no “pit” or seed sac.