How to preserve fresh green peas??? Around 10 years back during the winter season this question used to pop up in my mind. The winter season brings the best quality fresh peas crop. I used to shell out peas, fill them in zip lock bags and keep the bags in the freezer – that’s it! But later while using these peas, I missed the fresh flavour, and peas always felt hard if using them in dry vegetables. I always had to boil them before using and this was annoying. Then what is the right method of preserving fresh peas???
One day I was chatting with one of my aunts over the phone and while discussing regular stuff we came over the topic of how peas are preserved in different ways. I immediately told my dissatisfaction with the result of frozen peas. Then she told me her method and since then I follow that and try to stuff my freezer section with peas as much as possible!
If your family loves peas in different dishes, then you should definitely try this method to preserve peas for those months of the year when you don’t get them fresh in the market. Include your children and husband for shelling out peas while they are watching TV. If you do this each Sunday also you can get enough quantity in the whole winter season!
You need fresh peas, a colander/sieve, a big pot for boiling water, another pot of iced water and zip lock bags in small, medium and big sizes.
Process:
Shell out peas and wash them in a strainer.
Boil water in a big size pot. Let the water boil till the boiling bubbles appear in the water. Switch off the heat. Immediately add peas in hot water and cover the pot. Let the peas remain there for exactly 3 minutes.
After three minutes, strain peas in a sieve and immediately transfer them into an iced water pot. Let them stay there till peas become cold. Later, drain out the water in a strainer and spread peas on a clean kitchen towel till the excess water dries out.
Fill peas in ziplock bags. Don’t overstuff peas in the bags and stick stickers with the date of the preserve. Keep them in the freezer until further use.
You can try Aalu ki tikiya(potato patties stuffed with spicy peas) recipe from the blog. It is very popular street snack of India and if peas are in the freezer then our work is very easy to prepare them!
Quite an interesting way to freeze peas. Thanks for sharing this method Deeksha!!
You are always welcome Radhika 😊
Some prefer to boil them, but there is always a risk of over boiling and no one likes mushy peas. So I preferred this method better and safe☺️
I love the flavor of fresh peas! Back home spring for us means also fresh peas ☺️ unfortunately nowadays I don’t have anymore access to a garden with fresh peas to store for winter time but I’m sure this method always does it’s magic ☺️😋
I so much wish if you could get them fresh ☺️I also love fresh peas a lot. The moment I see them in the market, so many dishes start popping up in my head 😂
Mmm I love peas! The photos here have made my mouth water. They look so fresh and greeeeeeen. I’ve got to admit though I’ve only ever bought them frozen. This is such a good idea, to get them fresh and preserve them yourself. Fab guide on how to do it!
Caz xx
Caz, thank you very much for your lovely appreciation.😊 Fresh vegetables are always attractive, isn’t it!!! And only by blanching if we can retain them fresh for the rest of the year, it is a lot cost effective ☺️
Is it this simple ??! I will definitely try … an online reciepe asked me to boil with salt and then drain out all water n freeze
Somehow I dint want to try it … now this method I will surely try .. thanks Deeksha 😊
You are always welcome HS😊
Boiling is also an option HS, but there is a risk of over boiling if we are multi tasking in the kitchen. And sometimes we have a mix of hard and soft peas. Soft peas gets over boiled and over boiled peas are not tasty so I chose this risk free method☺️
Absolutely loved this! 😃
good idea to keep them long..
Thank you very much 😊
Very helpful post, Deeksha…thanks for sharing!
You are most welcome Indira 😊
That is very interesting Deeksha, so when you do it this way, you don’t have to boil them before use? That sounds great. I used deep frozen ones for the tikiya, because here we get fresh peas only in spring. But I had to boil those. I will try this when the season comes. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you very much Stella 😊. If I get have soft peas then I never have to worry about boiling them for adding in vegetables. For tikiya, we need boiled peas only otherwise can’t mash them and while shallow frying tikiya, peas cannot be cooked.
Spring season will bring lots of beautiful flowers also!!! 😊
Yes! The first ones are the dwarf irises and the snowdrops. They are the first sign of spring.
Will be waiting for your beautiful photographs!!
It just started snowing again. They might be a bit later than last year … but I keep you posted. <3
Thanks for the information, Deeksha. Right now peas have become very cheap and have brought almost three kgs. A great idea will definitely do the way you have so well shown.
You are always welcome Kamal 🙂
Peas are really cheap these days. Sometimes I feel if I could shell out lots and lots. Then hubby dear reminds that next year also peas crop will be in the market 😂😂
😂😂😂😂he is saying correctly. Thanks a lot Deeksha 😊😊😊
Thanks for the info on peas!
You are always welcome Jeff ☺️
This is a terrific method and works well for broccoli and cauliflower, too. Here it’s called “blanching.” 🙂
Thank you very much Lynette 😊
We also call it blanching but never tried for cauliflower. Cauliflower is also a lot in the market nowadays. I will try them also ☺️
Thank you for sharing Deeksha, will try this way 🤗
You are always welcome Samreen ☺️
🤗
It is the best way to store and use it later
Thank you very much Bhavna 😊
That’s good to know , it probably retains a better flavor as well with this method. Thanks for sharing!
This is a very good way of preserving them. Because there is always doubt about the purity of frozen peas found in the market. But it is an easy and simple way to preserve them. This very useful and good post ma’am 🙏👌👌🌻🎆😊🤗🌷
Thanks a lot Yogesh. Our home made efforts are always far better than the store bought ones!
Excellent, very useful information
Thank you very much Subbashini 😊
I love green peas, and I like to take them all through the year. Thanks to your aunt for sharing a wonderful idea.
I will sure convey your regards to my aunt Megala. Old people have many wonderful ideas based on their experiences. We really need to dig that treasure a lot!!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are always welcome 😊
This is called blanching and it is used extensively in preparation for freezing fresh vegetables. Love the flavour of frozen peas in the middle of winter.
In India the concept of frozen vegetables is not very popular. We are satisfied only by buying fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. But somehow frozen peas became very popular. Probably because peas are kid’s favorite. And now during winter when fresh peas are abundant in the market, people store them for whole year.
Eva, do you freeze any fruits or veggies?
This is a useful tip and you very well-shown to preserve peas for long term Dee 😀
Thank you very much Sunip 😊☺
Preserving “Mattar” by freezing is an annual ritual.
Yes arv, certain kitchen rituals in India are so much predictable. We all grew up seeing preparing pickles, mangodi, papad and even vermicelli !!
Absolutely. It was all about max utilisation of resources.
So true!
Useful post with an awesome idea❤️😊
Olivia, thank you very much😊
Easy and useful tip. Will try it!
Smitha, thank you very much!
That sounds good, Deeksha. Now I only have to convince my husband that he, too, will like peas. 🙂
Tanja,I am sure your dish will make him love peas☺
Maybe if you prepared them for him, Deeksha. I doubt he would eat mine. 🙂
Hi there Deeksha! No see in a long time and I just got done with my finals… check this out and lemme know! Read through this post for a min🤗😁
http://thecookingjournal.food.blog/2021/03/13/i-have-a-tiny-announcement-to-make/ are you interested in my newsletter? actually it’s just a little tiny thing I was starting. I was just planning to study, but then I thought eh, why not start a newsletter apart from blog!😜
Very good way of preserving green peas.thanks for sharing.. Very informative post dear.😊💐
Thank you very much Kamala 😊
You are welcome Deeksha 👍
Hi there Deeksha! It has been along time since we talked…. I just got done with my finals and I was starting a tiny thing…. it would be amazing if you check out this post: http://thecookingjournal.food.blog/2021/03/13/i-have-a-tiny-announcement-to-make/
I have given some details there for a newsletter I was starting. I thought it would be a way of fun interaction… if you don’t have time to go through the post let me just tell you a little, it would have fun stuff related to cooking and baking and my experiences. Some things I discovered in the kitchen and fun challenges at the end of each letter. For letting me know that you u are interested, all you have to do is leave a comment on any of my blog posts with your email on which you would like to receive it. Or, you can contact me through the mail given in the post in case you don’t want your email to be public. I hope you check it out because I would loveee if you join in☺️🙂
The moment I am free, will sure take a look!!
Sure! Anytime.. the next newsletter will be out tomorrow but for you, I would attach the first one too🙂🙂🤗
Sure, anytime😊
Hi Deeksha! Is everything alright? You haven’t posted in so long…. anyway, how are you doing? I was going through my follow list and realised that I hadn’t heard from you in a very long time nor that you posted any new recipe.😳😳
Will soon be back with a simple recipe…!
Can’t wait🤗!! And also would you like to join my newsletter?
Can’t say much Aarushi. Depends on how much time and health allows.
No problem at all! It is just a tiny thing I started and it just has some extra stuff apart from my posts. I send it via email and it would have some of my experiences in the kitchen and things I learnt and all that! Let me know by contacting me through email or comment, if you change your mind 🙂
Sure!!
I always par boil my veggies like this, they taste so much better this way. Thank you for sharing!
Diane, thank you very much 😊
I agree with you here, vegetables become tasty this way and efforts are less!
Great tips! It is so helpful. Hopefully we all have wonderful vegetables in summer!
Stay safe. Stay healthy, Stay vegan.
Thank you so much Oscar 🥰Stay safe, healthy and have a nice day!
useful tips deeksha.. Btw how you have been..its been a long time.
Thanks a lot Chiru. Yes, it has been a long time. I am doing good. How are you doing?
Dee, the peas look great. My father always had a big garden when I was growing up. Our family used to work together to freeze vegetables. We prepared them for freezing using a similar method. Great post!
Cheryl, thank you very much☺
At my parent’s home we too used to grow a lot vegetables. But we never did the freezing work as in that reign vegetables are available all the seasons. Its a dessert place ( not anymore now) so no issues with snowfall.
Many thanks for visiting the blog Cheryl😊