Pea is a beloved culture by many, the seeds of which are enjoyed by adults and children alike. The quality of the finished product depends on many factors, including the correct collection, storage features, etc. What you should know about the features of the procurement of the product and how best to store it at home - we will talk about this in our article.

Basic rules and terms for the collection of peas

Pea bloom occurs approximately 28-60 days after sowing seeds, and a month later, pea pods appear on the bushes.

From the moment of the appearance of the first mature specimens, it is important to carry out regular harvesting with a frequency of at least 1 time in 2-3 days, which will not only allow fresh peas to be obtained, but will also stimulate faster ripening of the remaining pods.

Did you know? In the old days, peas were associated with marriage customs in many countries. For example, in the Czech Republic, the bride was sprinkled with peas, and by the number of those remaining in the dress they tried to predict the number of children, and in Ancient Russia, after the wedding of the young, they were whipped with pea lashes.

Considering that a plant can bring several crops in one season, the extended fruiting period (up to 33–42 days) is quite logical. Subject to the requirements of proper agricultural cultivation techniques, up to 3-4 kg of tasty crop can be easily harvested from 1 m² of plantings.

Visually, the most suitable moment for collecting peas will be noticeable by the appearance on the pods of a mesh coating preceding the drying process. As for the collection rules, the following recommendations can be attributed to them:

• during manual cleaning, tear the pods very carefully, holding the plant so as not to tear off the stem and especially not tear it out with the root;
• it is better to clean the beds in turn - so you will surely collect all the ripened specimens and not let the remaining ones dry out;
• with a large area of ​​plantations, it is more rational to use a combine for harvesting, however, in this case the peas will be completely mowed and will not be able to produce a second crop (the grinding process can occur both on site and after transportation of the mowed bushes to the place of further processing);
• pea harvesting is preferably carried out in good weather with minimal humidity, so that the ripped pods are not damp and do not begin to rot.

Harvested crop should be freed from the peel as soon as possible and placed for further storage.

Features and shelf life

Most often, the collected peas are dried or frozen, so in each case there are their own requirements for the storage process. For example, when placing dry peas at home, you need to make sure that the room is dry and the sun does not get into the store, which will help to keep all the useful properties of peas at a high level.

At the same time, the general requirements for the storage process of this culture include:

• harvesting only fully ripened and well-dried fruits;
• use only a hermetically sealed container so that insects do not get inside;
• to preserve the high quality of dried peas, a small cloth bag filled with salt can be placed in a container with it;
• when buying a finished product in packaging from a pea manufacturer, it is necessary to pour it into a separate container, well closed with a lid;
• it is advisable to place the container with peas away from the gas stove, since the constant exposure to heat will make it unsuitable for further use in food;
• a product infected with insects cannot be eaten even after thorough cleaning and washing, since pathogens live not only outside but also inside grains;
• frozen peas should not be thawed unnecessarily, as re-freezing destroys a significant part of useful nutrients.

Each storage method has its own period, after which peas are not advisable to eat:

With any storage method, you should not use the prepared product after the expiration date, otherwise you can not be sure of its benefits.

Ways to save peas for the winter at home

As we already mentioned, the most common options for storing green peas are drying and freezing the crop, but these are far from the only ways to preserve the product. Some housewives can, pickle and even pickle peas, and, of course, each process has its own characteristics.

Conservation

Preservation of peas will require more time from the hostess than drying or freezing, but as a result, the finished product will be stored much longer. Consider a few simple recipes for preservation.Option 1

In this case, you will not need anything except the peas themselves, salt, vinegar and water, the proportions of which are calculated from the amount of ingredients: for example, to prepare 1 liter of brine, add 1 tbsp to the water. spoon of salt, and then pour in each half a liter jar another ¼ teaspoon of vinegar.

The process of creating blanks according to this recipe involves the following actions:

1. Pea peas, select only large and dense peas, discarding damaged and yellow.
2. Wash them and pour them into boiling and salted water, leaving them there for 3-5 minutes.
3. After this time, drain the water and rinse the peas in warm water.
4. Sterilize the jars (0.5 L each).
5. Fill the beans and pour the cooked hot brine (1 tbsp. 1 tbsp. Salt).
6. Pour ¼ teaspoon of a bite into each container and roll it.
7. Turn the jars upside down and leave them in the room to cool completely. It is not necessary to cover them with a blanket.

The cooled spins are moved to the refrigerator or lowered into the cellar for better preservation.

Option 2

In this case, in addition to the peas, salt and sugar, citric acid is also required. The amount of marinade is calculated from the total volume of prepared peas, but in general, for three jars of 0.5 l, you need to cook no more than 1 l of brine using 3 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar, 3 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of citric acid.The sequence of actions in this case is as follows:

1. Peel and rinse the peas, let them drain.
2. Add salt, sugar, peas to a pot of water and place it on the gas.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil the beans for about 15 minutes.
4. Pour citric acid into the pan and remove it from the heat after a few minutes.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peas to a cleaned container and carefully fill it with brine, only so that it does not reach the edge of the container by 1–1.5 cm.
6. Roll up the lids and leave the jars indoors for 12 hours. In the future, they can be moved to the cellar or refrigerator.

Important! Cracked peas during cooking should be removed immediately, since when rolled up they will provoke darkening of the brine and spoil the general appearance of preservation.

Pickling

We bring to your attention several popular, and at the same time simple, recipes for pickling green peas.

Option 1

First of all, it is necessary to prepare all the required components, which include:

• young peas (not peeled) - 0.5 kg;
• water - 5 glasses;
• citric acid - 5 g;
• coarse salt - 5 tbsp. spoons;
• baking soda - 5 g;
• sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• acetic acid (3%) - 400 ml;
• allspice peas - 3 pcs.;
• cinnamon - 1 stick.

The pickling process traditionally takes place in several stages:

1. To begin, place the washed pea pods in a pan and, pouring cold water, leave it for two hours.
2. Then drain the liquid and keep the peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, after pouring citric acid into the container.
3. Place the pods in the prepared jars, laying them vertically.
4. Add allspice, cinnamon and salt.
5. Boil water in a separate bowl, dissolve sugar and acetic acid in it.
6. Pour the finished liquid into a container with peas and cover with lids.
7. Take a large pan, cover it with a cloth and cover the bottom with water.
8. Put filled cans in it and sterilize them over low heat for about 20 minutes.
9. After the specified time, the pickled peas can be rolled up, after which the cans are lowered onto the lids and covered with a warm cloth.

12 hours after seaming, you can transfer the preservation to the cellar or to another place with a reduced air temperature.

Option 2

This method of pickling fresh peas will surely appeal to lovers of spices, who will ultimately add piquancy and unusualness to the harvesting.

Of the products you will need:

• freshly picked peas - 1 kg;
• apple cider vinegar (9%) - 20 ml;
• carnation - 4 inflorescences;
• black allspice - 6 peas;
• bay leaf - 4 pcs.;
• vanilla - ½ sticks;
• cinnamon - ½ sticks;
• fresh mint - 6 sheets;
• cardamom - 10 grains;
• sugar - 100 g;
• distilled water - 450 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Steam the jars, wash the previously peeled peas.
2. Pour the peas into jars and add apple cider vinegar.
3. Prepare the marinade by adding the required amount of cloves, black pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, mint, cardamom and sugar to distilled water. Together, these ingredients should be boiled over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the peas with the resulting hot solution and cover the jars with lids.
5. At the bottom of a deep pan, lay a tissue napkin and half fill it with water.
6. Move the jars into the pan and sterilize, no more than 15 minutes.
7. Roll up the peas, turn the jars over and cover them with a towel until they cool completely. After a day, the cooled containers can be brought to the balcony or to the cellar.

Using both recipes, you will get an excellent winter harvest, which will not only be tasty, but also very beautiful, because correctly pickled peas almost completely retain their natural color.

Did you know? Peas are an excellent source of nutrient fertilizer for other plants. After its cultivation, about 100 g of mineral nitrogen remains on 1 m² of territory.

Pickling

This option of harvesting green peas for the winter is even simpler than the previous ones, since it does not require heat treatment of filled cans. All you need is 1 kg of green peas, 60 g of salt and 600 ml of water. The process of preparing salting is also not difficult, and only the following actions are required of you:

1. Prepared beans should be peeled and then left in cold water for several hours.
2. After this time, the water is drained, and the peas themselves are laid out in steamed cans.
3. Next, you need to prepare a brine: just dissolve the salt in boiling water.
4. At the end of the process, it remains only to fill the beans with hot brine, plug the cans with nylon caps and, after complete cooling, transfer the workpieces to the cold.

The different variations of this recipe for the most part differ from each other only in the ingredients used, while the basic actions remain the same.

Freezing

Only fully ripened green pods are suitable for freezing in the freezer, without any defects. The peas themselves should be tender and fleshy, so it is better to proceed to the procedure during the first hours after collection.

Important! It is desirable that the sachets for freezing were small in size. This will allow not to defrost all the peas and eliminate the need for repeated freezing, during which part of the nutrients are lost.

The process technology provides for the following actions:

1. Torn peas need to be cleaned and only healthy large peas should be selected.
2. The selected beans are washed with cool water and allowed to drain.
3. To preserve the natural color of peeled beans, they must be blanched, that is, lower the colander with peas in boiling water first (just keep it in the pan for 2 minutes), and then immediately transfer it to cold water.
4. The processed peas should be laid out on a clean surface and dried a little, slightly wetting with a paper towel.
5. The dried fruits are scattered in one layer on a tray and sent to the chamber for quick freezing.
6. While one batch is hardening in the refrigerator, you can start preparing the next one.
7. Frozen peas are packaged in bags or plastic containers and placed in a freezer already for constant maintenance.

You can also freeze the pea pods, especially for those cases when the beans are not quite ripe. In the future, they will serve as an excellent ingredient in the preparation of soups, salads and main dishes.

As with the harvesting of peas, first of all, it is necessary to select only suitable specimens and rinse them. If necessary, each pod can be cut in half and kept in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then dipped in cold water and dried a little on a towel.

All further freezing actions are performed in the same way as in the previous case. To prepare meals, pea pods can not be thawed, especially when it comes to first courses.

Drying

To perform the procedure correctly, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Before loading the peas in the oven, as in previous cases, they must be cleaned, sorted and dried well;
• dried fruits are poured onto a baking sheet in one layer and sent to the oven, preheated to + 45–55 ° C for three hours (the door can be left ajar);
• as soon as the peas wrinkle and acquire a dark green hue, they can be removed, leaving for some time to cool;
• it is better to pour chilled dry peas into a hermetically sealed jar and leave it in a dry and dark place, inaccessible to insects.

Temperature indicators in the storage should not exceed +25 ° C, and humidity, if possible, remain as low as possible.

Features storage peas

In most cases, it is peas that are sent for storage, but in some situations, housewives harvest whole pea pods for the winter. This is not to say that the storage processes of both options are very different from each other, but at the same time it is worth knowing about some features of each of them.

In the pods

Fully ripened sweet pea pods can be stored in the refrigerator immediately after collection, but in this case, their freshness and usefulness is limited to several weeks. To prolong it, freezing or preservation will help, but even here the recipes are more “amateur” oriented.

When freezing, make sure that the pods do not stick together, and when preserving, try not to overdo it with the temperature effect, otherwise they will boil, and you will get porridge in the jars. Temperature requirements and other nuances of the storage process of prepared pea pods are no different from the storage of peas.

After opening the pods

Harvesting peas is characterized by a wide variety of methods than preparing for storage of pods. The peeled and washed beans can be rolled up into jars, frozen, dried, or even boiled, so that they can be stored in the refrigerator in this form.

There will be no excess fruit here, because there are a lot of recipes for processing peas after opening the pods.The main thing is that during storage of non-canned products, air access is not limited to it (dry peas should be periodically ventilated). Dry peas should be placed only in rooms or pantries protected from rodents and insects, and ice cream in a freezer with a constant temperature (you must not allow defrosting )Fresh peas can be stored on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator for a month, or sometimes two, only every day the workpiece will lose its attractiveness and part of the benefits.

Useful storage guidelines

In addition to the general requirements for the storage of harvested peas, a number of additional recommendations can be identified that will help maintain its quality.

First of all, they include the following:

• dried peas should be sown at least once every few months and checked for insects;
• it is better to take out the cooled-down preservation immediately to the basement, and if this is not possible, then you will have to place it in the coolest corner of the house and check it regularly (the lids on the banks can break from the high temperature);
• the frozen product does not need additional control, but at the same time, moisture should not get into it, otherwise the peas will stick together in one lump, and it will become more difficult to use them;
• so that the layers of frozen peas do not stick together, you can shift them with paper sheets, but then you have to place the workpiece on a horizontal surface and not wrinkle the bags;
• pickled peas are sometimes washed and transferred to other cans, but this is only appropriate if you want to extend its shelf life by seaming, or traces of fermentation appear on the product.

Whatever method of storing peas you choose, in any case, such a harvest will be a great way to replenish the body's vitamin reserves in the winter, and you should not refuse such an opportunity.