How to Blanch & Freeze Sugar Peas

Peas can be blanched and frozen in the pod or shelled.

Sugar peas or snow peas fresh from the garden are delicious and healthful. Freshly picked sugar peas can be stored in the refrigerator. Shelled peas must be used within a few days, while pea pods take longer to deteriorate and can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Blanching and freezing sugar peas allows you to store them in your freezer for a longer amount of time. Before freezing it's important to first blanch the peas in order to destroy surface microorganisms and ensure the result of your efforts are top-quality frozen peas .

Things You'll Need

• Sugar Peas
• Kitchen towel
• Large pot
• Cutting board
• Paring knife
• Large bowl
• Slotted spoon
• Colander
• Freezer zip bag

Instructions

1. Select pea pods that are young and tender for the highest quality results. Older pea pods can result in peas that are tough, chewy and not as flavorful. Run cool water over your sugar peas to remove loose dirt then lay them on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

2. 

   The first part of blanching involves cooking the peas in boiling water.

   Bring five quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Trim off the ends of the sugar pea pods with a knife and cutting board. Pull the strings off by hand to make the pea pods less chewy.

3. Place one pound of peas at a time in the pot of boiling water. Boil small pea pods for two minutes and large pea pods for three minutes.

4. 

   Submerging the peas in ice water completes the blanching process.

   Fill a large bowl with five quarts of cold water and ice. Use a slotted spoon to promptly remove the peas from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in the ice water. Leave the peas in the ice water for three to five minutes or until completely cooled, adding ice as needed to keep the water cold.

5. Drain your sugar peas in a colander, then spread them out on a kitchen towel and pat them dry.

6. Pack the peas into a freezer storage bag. Zip the bag closed but leave an inch or two open. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it up. Label it and date the bag and place the peas in the freezer. Peas can be kept in a 32-degree freezer for up to one year.

Tips & Warnings

• Peas can also be blanched in a steamer suspended above boiling water. Blanch the pea pods for 1 1/2 times the time required for blanching with boiling water.

• Snowbird and Snowflake are both types of sugar peas.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Peas: To Prepare Garden Peas or Sugar Peas for Freezing
• Colorado State University: Freezing Vegetables
• Ohio State University: Freezing Vegetables