So I bought peas at the Farmer's Market and I want to freeze some...

[LaydeeBug]

I am pretty sure I can just throw them in a bag and into the freezer.

Does anyone have any blanching tips? (Is that what I should do?)

Thanks in advance...

[MichiganVote]

1. What kind of peas? I usually just lay them out on a cookie sheet, freeze and then bag.

Good for cooking but I don't use them for fresh salads.

[Warpy]

2. English peas

Just shell and blanch quickly in boiling water, just until the color deepens. Drain and chill immediately in ice water, spin out in a salad spinner and then put into a freezer bag.

The same goes for Chinese pea pods. The texture suffers and they get a little mushy, but they're better than no pea pods.

Sugar snap peas do suffer from freezing, IMO, because the peas inside don't get blanched unless you cook the outside.

[TygrBright]

3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, to start with.

I have a colander insert with large stay-cool handles that fits inside my pot. I put it in the pot, throw about a cup and a half of peas in (not too many, don't want the water to stop boiling, and want those peas to move around & blanch evenly) and then haul it out when they start to get a little more color. Dump the peas in a big bowl of ice water and re-PEAt until they're all blanched. I don't use a salad spinner (though I might try it, thanks, Warpy!) I lay them out in a layer on a tea towel, then put another tea towel on top and gently roll them up, and unroll them to dry off.

Then freeze them in 2-cup bags. They are just as sweet, fresh-tasting and yummy at Christmas as they are now.

helpfully,
Bright