Edible seeds are also known as legumes. Apart from sweet corn, seeds usually grow in pods which are sometimes eaten along with the seeds.
Common seed and pod vegetables include:
peas
beans
snow peas (mangetout)
sprouted beans and seeds
sweetcorn.
Historically peas were dried and used during the winter.
Peas are one of the oldest known vegetables. For many centuries only dried peas were used in dishes such as pea and ham soup. In the 1500s, new varieties of peas with better flavour were developed and people started eating them fresh. Because they have a relatively short season peas grown in New Zealand are available deep frozen.
They are also known as mange tout, which translates into English as 'eat all'. Both the seed (pea) and the pod are eaten. They are almost completely flat with little bumps where the peas are inside thin pods.
Sugar snap peas have rounded pods with thick pod walls which are edible. They are a cross between a green shelling pea and a snow pea, with 3-8 peas in the pod.
There are many varieties of beans, most of which can be traced back to Central and South America.
These may be called yard-long beans, asparagus beans or long podded cow peas. These green beans are similar to regular green beans but are very long (30-50 cm). Supply is limited. They are used traditionally in Asian and Indian cooking.
They are usually 10-15 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter with rounded pods. The pods are quite tender so it is not necessary to remove any strings. The complete pod is eaten although the ends can be trimmed if desired.
Similar in shape to regular green beans but they are very pale yellow/cream colour. The complete pod is eaten although the ends can be trimmed if desired.
Usually about 15 cm in length, they are a flat pod with slightly ridged sides. Most newer cultivars have very few, if any strings, so the complete pod is eaten, although the ends can be trimmed.
The pod may be eaten if the beans are immature. When fully grown only the large and flat bean is eaten and the pod is discarded. The inside of the pod is soft and furry. To open the pod run a vegetable peeler quickly down the seam. Use gloves when podding to prevent staining of hands. Chefs often peel the beans.
Bean sprouts have been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years and were bought to New Zealand by the first Asian immigrants in the Gold Rush days.
Sprouts were made popular with the ‘hippie’ movement in the USA in the 1970s, and have been available commercially in New Zealand since 1981.
Sprouts start as dry beans and seeds. They are sprouted by soaking in water, then draining, and then allowing them to grow. Once wet, they draw on their stored nutrients and begin to grow. Being young, most sprouts are sweet and tender and provide interesting textures, being crunchy rather than fibrous like older plants. Many different sprouts are available and they are often sold in combination packs.
Alfalfa is by far the most popular sprout in New Zealand. They have a fresh crisp taste and are often combined with other flavours such as radish and onion. Yellowish alfalfa doesn't mean that it is old, just that the leaves have not been exposed to enough light and the green chlorophyll has not yet developed. If the leaves are green, they've probably been under a fluorescent light for more than two days. Alfalfa sprouts are almost always used raw.
These have the characteristic taste of snow peas and have long white shoots 5-7 cm long. They are used raw in salads and sandwiches and should be crisp and firm with no signs of browning.
They have a long 3-5 cm shoot and the coat on the mung bean is a very pale green-yellow. They can be used cooked or raw. They are often used in stir-fries.
They are small, flat and blue-grey or light brown coloured seeds with a short shoot. They are crunchy and have a nutty taste. They can be used cooked or raw.
They are blue-green peas with a short white sprout. The peas are crunchy with a strong, but tasty, pea flavour.
These are large white peas with a creamy nutty flavour. They are used in Mediterranean dishes and are the base for hummus.
These look very similar to alfalfa but have a stronger flavour. They are sometimes sold in mixes with other sprouts, such as red cabbage sprouts.
These have a very distinctive hot and peppery radish flavour. They are often sold mixed with other sprouts and may be either red or green.
Peas (usually Maple or Cowpeas) are sprouted in the dark and placed in a lighted room or greenhouse to 'green up' overnight. The process takes 6-7 days. The long shoots are harvested leaving the shell and the roots of the pea behind. Use raw in salads, sandwiches and as a garnish.
Corn or maize came from the American continent but is now grown throughout the world.
In grain form, maize is the staple diet for American Indians in Mexico, Peru and Southern North America. A sweet version of maize was developed, resulting in the name sweet corn, and it became a popular fresh vegetable in the 1960s. Several varieties are available; some with white kernels and others with a mix of yellow and white kernels. Varieties differ in sweetness, and recently super-sweet varieties have become available.
Common pod characteristics may include:
Crisp yet tender when young.
Long, flat or round, slightly curved.
Green, pale yellow/cream.
Blanched, boiled, steamed, and stir fried. Served still slightly crisp.
Common seed characteristics may include:
Soft and tender.
Round or oval.
Same as pod – green or yellow/cream.
Can be eaten raw, though usually cooked.