We preserve the taste and beneficial properties all year round: pea pods - recipes for the winter from experienced housewives
People started eating green peas many centuries ago. In some countries it was considered food for the poor, in others - a delicacy for the rich. This crop belongs to the legume family. The beans are the green pods, and the peas that ripen inside the pods are the seeds.
From this article you will learn a lot of useful information about freezing peas in pods, what recipes exist for canning this vegetable and how to preserve its beneficial properties.
About the benefits of green peas in pods
Peas are a valuable food product. It has a high content of protein, fiber, important amino acids, sugars, vitamins (A, C, PP, group B and others), and also has a pleasant taste.
For the human body this culture is useful due to the presence of important microelements in it (magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, copper, iodine). Eating fresh green peas reduces the acidity level in the stomach, which alleviates the symptoms of ulcers or gastritis.
Also it is considered a preventative for people with vitamin A deficiency and a powerful antioxidant that slows down the aging process.
Peas have many medicinal properties. These include:
- Ability to slow down the growth of cancer cells. This is facilitated by carotene, vitamin C and fiber.
- The ability to cleanse the walls of blood vessels from bad cholesterol.
- The ability to help regulate glucose metabolism in the body.
Fresh mashed green peas are used in cosmetology for preparing toning and moisturizing face masks.
Freezing green peas in pods
Eat A simple recipe to keep pea pods fresh all winter is freezing. Sugar and snow pea varieties are mainly used for freezing. The first has thick pods, and the second has flat pods.
Before freezing, the pods are washed and dried on a towel.. Then the ends are cut off on both sides and the hard longitudinal fibers are removed.
Blanch the green pea pods for about 3 minutes.. Blanch the snowy variety for 1 minute. They are then cooled sharply and dried with a paper towel. After this, you can put the green pea pods into containers and freeze them.
How to properly freeze peas
To freeze peas as seeds, first rinse them in their pods and dry them on a towel.. Afterwards, bright green and intact grains should be removed from the pods.
To prevent peas from becoming bitter after freezing, they are subjected to heat treatment. - Place the seeds in boiling water for 3 minutes.
After blanching, the peas are cooled in ice water. - To do this, add a few ice cubes to it. Then the pea grains must be transferred to a colander and allowed to drain.
Next, the peas are scattered on a flat surface and frozen for several hours.. This will make the freezer crumbly. After the grains are slightly frozen, they are poured into a freezer bag and stored in the freezer.
Reference. Freezing blanched peas preserves their color and flavor.
Harvesting green peas for the winter: how to dry
For drying, select peas that are not hardened and waxy ripe.. Drying itself begins 5-6 hours after collection - this way the fruits will retain their beneficial properties.
Step-by-step instructions for drying green peas at home:
- The peas are sorted, removing unformed or damaged seeds.
- Next, the peas are blanched for about 2 minutes and quickly cooled under running water, then this procedure is repeated and dried. This way the vegetable will retain its green color and creamy consistency.
- Spread the seeds on a baking sheet in a thin layer. It must be dried in the oven in several stages: 2-4 hours at a temperature of 40-50 degrees. Between doses, peas are kept for 3-4 hours at room temperature.
Important! Store dried peas in glass containers with a tight-fitting lid in a cool, dark place. From time to time you need to keep an eye on it to make sure there are no insects or mold.
Selection criteria and features of preparing green peas in pods for preservation
For preservation, choose only green peas that are still quite soft. Fully ripe or overripe peas are not suitable as a product for canning, as they will give the brine an unpleasant cloudiness and the taste of the finished product will be too starchy.
To process peas before canning, just wash them thoroughly. peas or pea pods.
It will be interesting:
How to properly grow seed peas
The Best Canned Peas Recipes
The shelf life of fresh green peas is about 2 weeks. Canned can be stored for up to a year. Preparing green peas for the winter will diversify your diet and allow you to eat vitamin-rich foods all year round.
Unripe, tender, uniformly colored grains are used for preservation.. Old and overripe ones become unsweetened and starchy. They are not suitable for blanks. To prepare 3 half-liter jars of canned peas, you will need one liter of marinade or brine.
Classic canning recipe
Ingredients for 1 liter of water:
- 1 tbsp. spoon of salt;
- 1.5 tbsp. spoons of sugar;
- 1 teaspoon of citric acid.
The grains are removed from the pods, washed, and spoiled fruits are removed.. Next, the peas are laid out in half-liter jars, leaving 2 cm to the edge to determine the number of grains.
Then pour the peas with cold water with salt and sugar, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.. Citric acid is added 5 minutes before the end of the cooking process.
Place the cooked vegetable in a colander, and then put it in sterile jars (preliminary sterilization lasting at least 1 hour). The water in which the green peas were boiled is passed through cheesecloth, brought to a boil, poured into jars and rolled up.
Salted snow peas: step-by-step recipe
Ingredients:
- peas;
- water;
- salt;
- sugar.
Step by step recipe:
Step 1. Pour highly salted water over the peas and place the pan on the fire. For 5 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of salt are enough. Do not bring the water to a boil: the pods will open and begin to curl.
Step 2. The pods are placed in a colander. After the water has drained, the peas are placed in jars vertically in dense rows.
Attention! To fill three half-liter jars you will need: 1 liter of water, 1 tbsp. l. salt, a piece of refined sugar.
Step 3. Bring the brine to a boil.
Step 4. The jars are filled to the brim and the lids are rolled up.
The peculiarity of this method is that the color of the pods changes slightly.
Preserving natural green peas with vinegar
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- 3 tsp. vinegar.
Add salt and sugar to cold water, let it boil, add vinegar. The peas, cleared of pods and spoiled grains, are placed in a colander. Place in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove with a spoon and place in sterile jars.. Fill with brine and close with lids.
It will be interesting:
Recipe for canned peas without acetic acid
Ingredients:
- 700 g peeled peas;
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tablespoon salt;
- 1 tablespoon sugar;
- 3 g citric acid.
Process for preparing pickled peas in pods:
- The peas are sorted and washed.
- Fill it with water and bring to a boil.
- Afterwards, the grains are simmered over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
- The water is drained and the peas are strained.
- Sugar and salt are added to clean water. Mix well.
- Let it boil, add citric acid. The marinade is ready.
- Sterilize the jars and place hot grains in them.
- Pour over the freshly boiled marinade and cover with sterile lids.
- They're rolling up.
Preserving green peas and cucumbers for the winter
Ingredients:
- 600–800 g cucumbers;
- 400 g green peas;
- 500 ml water;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of salt;
- 4 tbsp. spoons of sugar;
- 3 tbsp. spoons of 9% vinegar;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- horseradish;
- ripe dill.
Green peas are washed and boiled for 10-15 minutes.
The jars are sterilized, dried and filled with herbs for preservation. (umbrellas and dill stems, horseradish leaves). Garlic crushed with the wide side of a kitchen knife or chopped into slices is also thrown to the bottom.
Cucumbers are laid out in a vertical row, sprinkled with boiled peas. Shake the jars periodically to ensure the peas are distributed evenly.
Banks are filled with boiling water, cover with clean lids and let stand for 5-6 minutes. Afterwards, the water is drained and the entire process described above is repeated 3 times.
Before the third pour, salt, sugar and vinegar are added to the water drained from the cans.. Boil and return the liquid to the jars. They are then screwed on with sterile lids, turned over and wrapped so that they cool slowly and gradually.
Store pickled cucumbers with green peas should be in a cool, dark place.
Canning peas without sterilization
Ingredients:
- 600 g green peas;
- 1 liter of water for marinade;
- 50 g salt;
- 50 g sugar;
- 1 teaspoon of citric acid.
The cooking process without sterilization is almost the same as with sterilization. Pea grains are pulled out of the pods, removing damaged or spoiled ones and washed.
Next, prepare the brine, in which the peas will be pickled. Add sugar and salt to the water and bring to a boil.
Pour peeled and washed peas into the boiling marinade. You can't mix it. When the water boils again, put it on low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. The readiness of peas is checked by testing. It should be soft, but not crumble into mush. At the end of cooking, add 1 teaspoon of citric acid to the marinade.
Peas along with the marinade are sent to pre-sterilized jars, while the interval to the lid should be 1.5-2 cm. Then the jars are rolled up with sterile lids and put under a warm towel until they cool down.
Store either in the cellar or in the refrigerator.
Tips and tricks
To harvest green peas, choose sugar varieties, be sure to remove old, diseased, yellowed fruits.
Green peas need to be boiled before canning.. You can soak it overnight, then the cooking process will be less time-consuming.
It is recommended to add lemon juice during cooking. or a little citric acid to preserve color.
After sealing the jars of peas with metal lids, turn them over, cover with a blanket to continue the sterilization process.
Conclusion
Now you know what you can do with green peas in pods. When freezing, canning and drying, sorting is important - separate high-quality grains from spoiled ones, because this is directly related to the quality of the product. If you comply with this simple condition, then any recipe for preparing preparations for the winter from pea pods will not cause any particular difficulties.
Peas are a tasty, healthy and nutritious product. It is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology.