Peas freshly picked from the garden are a sweet and crunchy treat. With a good harvest, however, large quantities of the green globules can be harvested at once. Here, freezing offers a good opportunity to store several family-sized portions as a reserve.
Peas from the freezer are delicious and still full of vitamins
Harvest the peas and prepare them for the freezer
From the bush to the freezer, the pea goes through a number of stages with your help, which prepare it optimally for storage:
- the harvest
- the purge
- the blanching
- packaging and freezing
Harvesting and cleaning
When harvesting the peas, you should make sure that you only cut off green pods that are in good condition. Pods with black spots, signs of eating or mold belong in the compost. After that, there is a time-consuming job to do that is more fun and faster with a few helpers. Pod by pod must be opened and the peas pushed out.
After that, clean the peas under running water. Use two sieves and shake the peas back and forth until all dirt is removed.
Blanch and pack
So that the peas retain their fresh green color when they are frozen, they must be blanched. To do this, heat plenty of water in a large saucepan. Another bowl of ice-cold water, if possible with ice cubes, is ready next to the stove.
As soon as the water is boiling, immerse the peas in a sieve or a small bag, in portions if necessary, in the boiling water for about three minutes. Then remove the peas and plunge them into the ice water. After draining, you can now fill your pea harvest into freezer containers. Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the cans as possible. It is easier with freezer bags that can be vacuumed.
Finally, label the frozen food and store it in the freezer. Here the peas stay fresh for about ten months.
The garden journal freshness ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
- as a free PDF file to print out yourself