Little green pieces of ick.

Tell me, is there anyone out there who actually likes canned peas? Seriously, I am not talking about those who can tolerate the little mushy pellets. I am wondering if there is anyone who actually plans dinner thinking, “Oh boy! We’re having canned peas tonight!”

I think every can that has snuck itself in to my house (I think they disguise themselves as green beans)has ended up on the shelves of some food pantry. Yes, I feel guilty about passing along the nasty things, but it’s that or throw them out. In my defense, I mostly have canned vegetables on hand because I live in hurricane country. Typically we use fresh or frozen, but we need some in our storm stockpile, so we don’t come down with rickets and scurvy in the week we might be without power. (Yes, that was sarcasm, folks.)

Fresh, frozen, or dried peas are all staples, here. Bright green, slightly sweet, what isn’t there to love about frozen peas? A chilly winter’s day is made for dried peas, soaking up all kinds of hammy goodness to become split pea soup. I just can’t wrap my mind around the concept of the canned ones. Why would someone even do that to a defenseless pea? I honestly think my mother only used them to make her Tuna Noodle Casserole even less palatable. Perhaps the manufacturers ought to skip the stores and send them on to the starving kids in Ethiopia I was lectured about. Then, my local grocery store would finally have the real estate to carry the Better Than Boullion I’ve been begging for. (I really, really hate having to go to Goose Creek for one stinking item, Mr. Store Manager.)