Stock Your Freezer with Peas from Your Garden!

The peas are going to be ready to harvest soon, and if you have a large garden, you'll soon be wondering what to do with them all! I know that is how I have felt every season when the peas are ripe and every day I pick baskets and baskets of fresh sweet peas! Fortunately there is an easy solution to the oversupply of your peas! Canning peas can be done, however by freezing the peas you will retain the nutrients and the flavor much more effectively. If you have never tried to freeze your garden sweet peas, I would recommend you follow these simple steps to achieve a freezer filled supply of sweet peas. Frozen peas taste delicious, and the ones you freeze from your garden are much better than the ones from the grocery store!

Start by collecting all the materials you will need to complete the freezing process. You will need your peas, freezer bags or containers, a pot of boiling water, and a bowl of ice water. That is a pretty simple list, it reflects the ease of the freezing process!

Choose only peas that are small. As the peas mature in the pod, they will become large, hard and bitter. These peas will be even more hard and bitter after freezing. The small peas are very sweet and tender and will remain that way after being frozen. Wash the peas in the pods by rinsing them several times under cool water. Then remove the peas from the pod. Once you have removed all the peas, dip them in the boiling water for 90 seconds. This process is called blanching and will destroy and enzymes or microorganisms that may be living on the peas. Only boil them for 90 seconds so that the peas do not loose any nutrients or flavor. Immediately when the 90 seconds are up, place the peas into the bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process and allow the peas to remain fresh.

Now the peas are all ready to be frozen! You can place them in freezer containers, or freezer bags. The freezer bags are just a little bit thicker than the normal zip-lock bags and they will protect the peas from freezer burn more efficiently. If you are using bags, be sure to try your best to remove all the air you can. If you have access to a vacuum sealing machine I would highly recommend using that as well. The vacuum sealer will remove all the air and help to retain the peas flavor and freshness for the longest time possible. Fill the bags or containers with the peas, and you can place them right into the freezer!

The peas will keep for several months, up to a year. If you have not used the peas after 12 months, you may want to discard them and start a new batch of peas to freeze. The peas will have lost much of their flavor and freshly frozen peas will taste much better.

This process is so simple that you will want to do it year after year. Peas are easy to grow, care for and harvest. When your peas are ready to harvest, try this method of preserving them and see how excellent your results turn out!