How to freeze green peas for the winter: TOP 10 recipes at home with photos and videos

The season of fresh vegetables passes quickly, but sometimes in winter there is a desire to eat something green, so reminiscent of summer. Green peas ripen quickly and just as quickly depart. Despite the fact that now you can find almost everything in stores, many housewives prefer to make their own preparations for the cold weather on their own. In this article, we will share with you how to freeze green peas at home for the winter.

Is it possible to freeze peas for the winter

Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to freeze peas for the winter. First, we offer to figure out what the benefits of this product are. So, this legume contains:

vitamins C, B, folic acid, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium;
amino acids choline, lecithin and methionine responsible for lipid metabolism in the human body;
protein and carbohydrates;
vitamin inositol, which is very good for the heart.

In addition, peas are indicated for the prevention of diseases such as goiter, anemia and atherosclerosis.

Most of the energy value in a fresh product, however, those who want to eat peas for a long time can freeze them at home.

Which peas are best for freezing

Sometimes you can hear complaints from housewives that they tried to freeze the product, but in the end nothing came of it. Sometimes this really happens, and this happens for the reason that it is worth considering some of the subtleties of freezing.

First of all, you need to pay close attention to the product. So, you need to choose peas of excellent quality, not wormy and without obvious signs of illness. It is best to pay attention to young peas, overripe legumes will not work, especially if such a product is planned to be used in salads in the future.

Green pods are selected, in which it is clear that the peas are fleshy, not overripe and not damaged. By the way, this is not an easy task, since young legumes tend to ripen quickly and, as a result, overripe. However, they are easy to distinguish from young ones - they stand out with a yellow color and dried skin.

Preparing the refrigerator

Perhaps, some housewives do not even know, but before the freezing process, special attention should be paid to the place where it will take place, namely the refrigerator.

If the refrigerator has a chamber with a temperature regime below -18 degrees, this option is just perfect. At the initial stage of freezing, the product must be stored under such conditions. After some time, the peas are transferred to the usual freezer compartment of the refrigerator, where they can be safely stored for up to a year, that is, almost until the next harvest.

Under the frozen products it is necessary to clear a place in the refrigerator. Naturally, not everyone has space in the freezer, and peas will, in any case, be adjacent to other products, so special attention should be paid to the tightness of the packaging of each contents stored in the refrigerator.

How to freeze green peas at home

Since the new generation of household appliances has appeared, many things have been simplified.So, fresh green peas can be stored in the freezer without any problems until the next harvest. The main thing is to follow all the subtleties in the process of freezing these he althy legumes.

If the hostess has enough of this ingredient, it is best to freeze the product in small batches, as it dries quickly in the fresh air.

Freezing green peas at home is not difficult, and the whole process does not take very much time. So, pre-processed fruits are laid out on a surface covered with cling film and simply moved to the freezer, where the intensive freezing program is set.

In the specified mode, the legumes are kept for as long as it is written in the instructions for the refrigerator, after which they are transferred to a special container and placed in the freezer compartment for long-term storage.

Freezing peas can be done in several ways, which you will learn about later.

Freezing raw peas

First, as mentioned earlier, you need to carefully select the peas. So, peas should have a bright shade, not be soft, wormy or spotted. It is worth choosing fresh and ripe peas. After that, it must be sorted out and garbage removed from it.

In a small saucepan, boil water and place peas in it, after which the fire is turned off and the product remains in boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, the beans are transferred to cold water for 10 minutes, after which they are taken out on a towel.

The dried peas are laid out in a container for freezing and placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for 2 days.

With previous blanching in pods

Freezing peas in pods with preliminary blanching is carried out as follows:

The pods are sorted and washed.
Water is boiling on the fire in a large pot. Also prepare a large bowl of cold water or ice cubes.
Bean pods are placed in a colander and in this form are placed in a boiling liquid. Instead of a colander, you can use a cloth or muslin bag or a wire basket.
Blanching occurs in this order: for snow peas - 1 minute; for sweet - 1.5-2 minutes.
Further, everything is removed from the fire and immediately moved into cold water. This is necessary so that the cooking process is immediately stopped.
The pods dry naturally or with paper towels. At the same time, it is not recommended to leave the pods in the air for a long time, as they can become hard.
After all the above actions, the product can be frozen. Peas are put in special bags or containers. It is necessary to ensure that all the air from the package (if the peas are placed in bags) is released. In addition, the product can be folded onto a baking sheet, previously covered with parchment paper, wrapped in cling film and put in this form in the freezer of the refrigerator. After the frozen pods are placed in special bags or stacked in containers for long-term storage.

In ice cube trays

This method is of interest to many housewives. To prepare peas in ice molds for the winter, you must strictly follow the recommendations below.

The peas are taken out of the pods, washed and laid out in ice containers. For these purposes, baking molds made of silicone may also be suitable.Next, the peas are poured with water (broth). The liquid should not be filled to the very edges of the molds, as during freezing, they expand and may leak out. Ready-made forms are placed in the freezer for one day, after which the ice with beans is removed and transferred to a special container for long-term storage.

Terms and rules for storing frozen food

Many housewives who have prepared peas for the winter are wondering how long it can lie in the freezer. As for the storage of frozen peas, the most important thing is to observe the temperature regime. So, if the product is stored at a temperature of -18 degrees, then it can be eaten for up to 9 months. When freezing, it is best to make a note on the package with blanks when it was made.

To preserve the taste, color and freshness of peas, you need to make sure that it does not absorb foreign odors. This can only be done by choosing the right packaging.

So, special bags or containers are suitable for freezing food. It is necessary to ensure that the packaging is airtight, since the quality of the product also depends on the integrity of the storage container.

How to properly defrost peas

If we talk about defrosting peas, everything will depend on the form in which it is planned to be consumed.

So, if the hostess is going to cook soup, peas and pods, without defrosting, are sent into a boiling liquid and boiled for 3 to 5 minutes. If the hostess wants to add peas to the salad, before that, it must be thawed naturally by putting it in the refrigerator.