Preserving Garden-Grown Peas through Canning Process
Home Canning Peas: Preserve Garden-Fresh Peas for Later
Canning peas is an efficient way to preserve peas from your garden for later use. These home-canned peas are a superior alternative to store-bought canned peas, as they retain their natural sweetness and freshness.
Table of Contents
- Shelling Peas
- Canning Peas: Methods and Processing Times
- Canning Peas Recipes and Ways to Preserve Peas
- Vegetable Canning Recipes
- Pressure Canning Recipes
As a childhood treat, canned peas were a cherished luxury in my household, as we primarily consumed canned corn, which incidentally, is not even a genuine vegetable.
With our current sizeable gardens, our canned food selection is limited to home-canned produce in Mason jars. We consume an abundance of fresh vegetables, and during the summer months, we work together to can corn, and occasionally preserve a few jars of pressure-canned asparagus. However, home-canned peas have become a coveted treat compared to asparagus, which is relatively straightforward to can at home.
Canning peas demands time and effort, but it offers a delightful experience, especially during the spring and early summer months. Spending hours shelling peas while my children play in the yard allows me to slow down and appreciate the tranquility of the season.
Shelling Peas
Canning peas starts with shelling peas. Ensure you're working with a shelling pea variety different from snap or snow peas, as these varieties do not work well with pressure canning.
If you have an ample pea harvest, you can consider purchasing a pea sheller to expedite the process. Alternatively, shell the peas by hand in a comfortable chair or on the porch rocker for a classic approach.
To shell peas, snap off the ends with your fingers, pulling up towards the seam, then continue to pull and the pea shell will "unzip" open. From there, you can fold them open and pop the peas out.
Canning Peas: Methods and Processing Times
You have options when canning peas, but they must be pressure canned due to their low acidity. If you are unfamiliar with pressure canning, please refer to a beginner's guide to pressure canning before proceeding.
Both pints and quarts can be used for canning peas, and the processing times stay the same at various elevations. Peas can be raw packed or hot packed, with hot packing typically resulting in a better finished product, but the difference between hot packed and raw packed peas is minimal for canned peas.
Raw Pack
Pack peas directly into cleaned, hot jars, and add boiling water from a kettle. Leave 1 inch headspace, seal with 2 part lids, and load the jars into a pressure canner filled with very hot water (around 140 degrees F).
Hot Pack
Blanch the peas in boiling water for 2 minutes and pack them into prepared canning jars. Cover them with either freshwater from a kettle or the blanching water, leave 1 inch headspace, seal with 2 part lids, and load them into a pressure canner that's just simmering (around 180 degrees F).
With either a hot or raw pack, seal the pressure canner lid after the last jar is loaded, but don't start bringing it up to pressure immediately. Heat the canner to high and allow the steam to vent for 10 minutes before adding the canning weight and bringing the canner to pressure.
Once the canner is at pressure, start timing. Process both pint and quart jars for 40 minutes (adjusting pressure to altitude, see below).
Once the canning time is complete, allow the canner to cool before opening and removing jars. Check the seals, and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly sealed jars will keep on the pantry shelf without loss of quality for 12 to 18 months.
Altitude Adjustments
With pressure canning, the processing times stay the same at higher altitudes, but the pressures change. Here are the altitude adjustments for pressure canning peas:
For dial gauge pressure canners:
- 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation - 11 lbs pressure
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation - 12 lbs pressure
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation - 13 lbs pressure
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation - 14 lbs pressure
For weighted gauge pressure canners:
- 0 to 1,000 feet in elevation - 10 lbs pressure
- Above 1,000 feet - 15 lbs pressure
Canning Peas Recipes and Ways to Preserve Peas
In addition to simply pressure canning peas, you can incorporate them into other canning recipes. They add a bright, fresh flavor to hearty meals like beef and chicken pot pie fillings.
When canning split pea soup, it's not the fresh garden peas but rather dried split peas that are used.
Besides canning, freezing peas is an alternative method to preserve them, but it takes up considerable freezer space.
Vegetable Canning Recipes
Looking for more ways to can vegetables and other garden produce?
- Canning Carrots
- Canning Green Beans
- Canning Corn
- Canning Pumpkin
- Canning Sweet Potatoes
Pressure Canning Recipes
Stock your pantry with these pressure canning recipes:
- Canning Beef
- Canning Turkey
- Canning Beans (Pinto, Black, and More)
- Canning Bone Broth
- The process of water bath canning is not suitable for preserving peas due to their low acidity, requiring pressure canning instead.
- Canning peas opens up a wide range of possibilities for delicious meals, as they can be incorporated into various cooking and canning recipes, including hearty meals like beef and chicken pot pies.
- Home canning, whether it's peas, beans, or other vegetables, contributes to a sustainable and self-sufficient food-and-drink and home-and-garden lifestyle, offering an avenue to enjoy fresh produce all year round.
