If you’ve ever grown your own peas, you’ve probably run into the same problem I did. They don’t always produce fast enough to fill a pressure canner in one picking.
You can leave them in the fridge for a few days, but eventually you have to decide whether to keep waiting or do something else. I decided to blanch and freeze my first batch until I had enough fresh peas to make a full canner load.
That raised another question. Would freezing the peas before canning change their texture or taste? I wasn’t sure, so I canned frozen and fresh peas side by side to see if I could tell the difference.
I was picking them every day and keeping the shelled peas in a loose plastic bag in the fridge while I waited for enough to accumulate.
After about three days I had 4 pounds of shelled peas, but it still wasn’t enough, so I blanched them and froze them.
A few days later I had picked enough fresh peas from the garden that, combined with the frozen ones, I finally had enough for a full canner load.
I canned both batches exactly the same way so the only difference was that one had been frozen first.
While I was shelling the fresh peas, I thawed the frozen peas in cold water.
I added 1/8 teaspoon of pickling salt to each of my ten half-pint jars.
I filled five jars with the previously frozen peas and the other five jars with peas that had been shelled that morning.
I packed all of the jars to a generous 1 inch of headspace.
I poured boiling water into each jar, removed the air bubbles, and checked that the headspace was exactly 1 inch.
I put the five jars of fresh peas on the bottom rack of my pressure canner and the five jars of previously frozen peas on the top rack.
Once the canner reached a steady, full head of steam, I vented it continuously for 10 minutes before closing the vent and bringing it up to pressure. \
The jars were processed for 40 minutes. Peas are processed for 40 minutes whether you’re using pints or quarts, so I processed the half-pints for 40 minutes as well.
When the processing time was finished, I turned off the heat and let the canner depressurize naturally. After the pressure reached zero and I opened the lid.
I waited another 10 minutes before removing the jars and setting them on the counter to cool overnight.
I opened a jar of peas that had been frozen before canning and a jar of peas that had gone straight from the garden into the canner.
I couldn’t tell the difference.
The texture was the same, the taste was the same, and if someone had handed me the two jars without telling me which was which, I never would have guessed.
If my garden isn’t producing enough peas for a full canner load, I won’t hesitate to blanch and freeze them until I have enough. I couldn’t find any downside to doing it.
Pressure Canned Garden Peas
Yield: 10 half-pint jars
This recipe works with either freshly shelled garden peas or peas that have been blanched and frozen until you have enough for a canner load.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs shelled garden peas (fresh or previously frozen)
- Boiling water
- 1¼ tsp pickling salt (1/8 tsp per half-pint jar)
Instructions
- If using frozen peas, thaw them in cold water before canning.
- Prepare 10 half-pint jars, lids, and bands.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon of pickling salt to each jar.
- Fill each jar with peas, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Pour boiling water over the peas, maintaining 1 inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed.
- Wipe the jar rims, place the lids on the jars, and tighten the bands fingertip tight.
- Place jars into the pressure canner.
- Once the canner reaches a steady stream of steam, exhaust the canner for 10 minutes before placing the weight or closing the petcock.
- Pressure can half-pint jars for 40 minutes. (Peas are processed for 40 minutes for both pints and quarts as well.)
- When processing is complete, turn off the heat and allow the canner to depressurize naturally.
- Once pressure has returned to zero, open the lid and allow the jars to sit for another 10 minutes before removing them.
- Place jars on a towel and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check seals, remove bands, label, and store jars in a cool, dark place.
Notes
- It took approximately 6 lbs of shelled peas to fill 10 half-pint jars.
- If your peas are ready a little at a time, blanching and freezing them until you have enough for a canner load is an option.
- Process using the pressure recommended for your altitude. Follow the pressure canning instructions for your specific canner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pressure can frozen peas?
Yes. If your garden peas are ready a little at a time, you can blanch and freeze them until you have enough for a canner load. Thaw the frozen peas before filling the jars and process them the same way as fresh peas.
Does freezing peas before canning affect the texture?
Freezing peas before canning did not noticeably change the texture in my side-by-side comparison. The frozen and fresh peas had the same texture after pressure canning.
How many peas does it take to fill 10 half-pint jars?
It took approximately 6 lbs of shelled peas to fill 10 half-pint jars.
How much salt do I add to canned peas?
Salt is optional when canning peas, but if you choose to add it, use 1/8 teaspoon of pickling salt per half-pint jar.
How much headspace do canned peas need?
Leave 1 inch of headspace when filling jars with peas and boiling water.
How long do you pressure can peas?
Process peas for 40 minutes. This processing time applies to half-pint, pint, and quart jars.
Do I need to vent my pressure canner before processing peas?
Yes. Once the canner reaches a steady stream of steam, exhaust the canner continuously for 10 minutes before placing the weight or closing the petcock.
Can I combine fresh and frozen peas in the same canner load?
Yes. Fresh peas and previously frozen peas can be canned in the same load as long as they are prepared and processed according to the tested canning instructions.
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