Lesson 6.39.1 PIGEON PEA – Harvesting & Food Value

 

FOOD FOREST COURSE

AGRO-ECONOMY Lesson 6.39.1 

PIGEON PEA – Harvesting & Food Value

 

Harvesting

Pigeon pea has a lot to offer in the way of harvest.  If the foliage isn’t chopped and dropped regularly for mulch it can also make a great fodder crop.  No livestock will refuse pigeon pea.  The leaves are a high source of protein and any peas left on will contribute to taste and nutrient value as well.  The peas are also a great source of food, as was mentioned previously, and if you want to cook with them they need to be processed in bulk to make it worthwhile, as podding them individually is a waste of time.  Wait until the pods are totally dried on in the bush before picking.

Place a whole lot of the dried pods into an old pillowcase and grab the open end with your hand and close it.  With your feet (or use a nearby child they think it’s great fun) trample and break up all those dried pods until they are all crushed.  Next, shake the pillowcase to allow all the little peas to fall to the bottom corner and then open and flip the broken pods off with your hands.  It’s surprising how little time it takes.

Place all the peas into a shallow basket or bowl and winnow by blowing off the debris until it is cleaned.  The next step will be to split the pigeon pea, and this is best done with a wheat grinder (if you don’t have a wheat grinder you’re not on the right track!) on a very loose setting.  When the peas come out broken and split, the outer brown skin will flake off to reveal a yellow pea inside.

Winnow off the skins by blowing them off, and there you have it, pigeon pea ready to cook.  If you think this is going to be a lot of trouble, it isn’t really as it’s done in no time at all and are you ready for a taste sensation?  There is nothing like a good pigeon pea dahl.  Try a pigeon pea dahl, it’s guaranteed to keep them coming back for more!

Food value

There are a few varieties of Pigeon pea and some are more suitable for cooking with than others.  This includes the green pod that can be eaten whilst still young, but these still take quite a long time to cook until they are tender.  The split pigeon pea will only take 30 minutes or so to cook compared to whole, unpulled pigeon pea, as after a twenty-four-hour soak they will still take several hours to cook.  There is quite a high protein content in pigeon pea as with all beans and pulses. Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC studied with Bill Mollison.

  

 

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