Shell peas are time consuming to shell, but the burst of
sweetness you get when you eat them is well worth the effort. I freeze my peas
in early summer and mourn the day I run out of them in the winter, because you
can’t find that same flavor anywhere else in the grocery store. Shell peas
fresh out of the garden are so sweet, they taste like candy.
Shell peas are like corn. Everyone says you need to have the
water boiling for corn before you go out to pick it, because the minute you
pick it, it starts losing sweetness. Once you pick shell peas, the sugars start
converting to starch, and that beautiful candy-like flavor is lost.
I recommend growing your own peas. They are super easy to
grow, and can be grown vertically to save space, as well as in containers. As
soon as you pick them, you want to shell them and prepare them for a meal or to
freeze.
If you pick them up at the farmer’s market, don’t be afraid
to ask the farmer when they were picked. Most of us pride ourselves on offering
super fresh veggies and are more than happy to answer that question! Shell peas
should be picked the day before or the day of market, if they are older than that
they are still perfectly usable but may not have the same great flavor as
fresher ones.
Look for peas that are bright green and plump. Yellowing
shells indicate that they are old and if they aren’t plump, you won’t have any
peas to eat!
Once you are ready to freeze them, you need to shell them.
The pods on shell peas are not edible, so you will want to open them up, pop
the seeds into a bowl and discard the shells. (Theses are great for your compost!)
Once all of your peas are shelled, then you want to cover
them with water and bring them to a boil. As soon as they peas come to a boil,
take them off the heat and pour them into a strainer. It’s best to shock them
in an ice bath, but I don’t always have ice on hand, so I run cold water over
them to keep them from continuing to cook. Once the peas are cooled, put them
into freezer bags, mark what they are, and place them in the freezer to enjoy
all winter!
Easy peasy!
