Can You Freeze Mushy Peas?

4 minutes

Mushy peas are a true British staple and a much-loved accompaniment served with fish and chips. You can easily make them at home, or you can buy them from the store, ensuring your fish and chip supper is as authentic and delicious as possible!

But what happens when you have some leftover mushy peas that you don’t want to throw away? Can you freeze mushy peas or should it be avoided at all costs?

How to Freeze Mushy Peas

Freezing mushy peas is easy, so there’s no reason why you should let them go to waste.

If you think you might use your mushy peas within a couple of days, there’s no need to freeze them. You can simply cover them and place them in your fridge. If you want to keep them for longer, below is a step-by-step method of how to freeze them:

1. Allow to Cool
   If you have leftover mushy peas from dinner, you will need to let them cool before you freeze them. Think about transferring them from the pan you prepared them in to another dish in order to speed the process up a little.
2. Remove From Tin (If Necessary)
   If your mushy peas are shop-bought and you haven’t yet cooked those that you plan to freeze, you will need to remove them from the tin. You should never freeze produce in metal.
3. Drain Any Excess Liquid
   If your mushy peas contain additional liquid, drain them before freezing as this will help to preserve their texture during the freezing process.
4. Transfer to Freezer-Safe Bags
   Place your mushy peas in a freezer-safe bag, pushing as much air out as possible before sealing.
5. Label and Freeze
   Write the date you made (or bought) your mushy peas on the front of the bag. It’s also helpful to write the date they should be used by. Remember, you can freeze them for around three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Mushy Peas

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing mushy peas to have the best results:

Freeze in Portions
Because they are often enjoyed as an accompaniment to a main meal, it’s a good idea to freeze them in individual portions, so you don’t have to defrost a whole batch at once. This will ultimately mean you don’t have to waste your leftovers.

Leftovers and Freshly Made Can be Frozen
You can freeze mushy peas that have already been cooked or those that have been freshly prepared. The freezing process is the same for both, you will just need to leave them to cool before freezing if you’ve cooked them beforehand.

Defrost in the Microwave
Mushy peas are easy to defrost in the microwave, so you don’t need to worry about taking them out beforehand. If you’re in a rush, you can even prepare them straight from frozen.

How Long Can You Freeze Mushy Peas?

You can freeze mushy peas for around three months.

If you plan to use your mushy peas within a few days after you’ve opened the tin or after you’ve prepared them, you can store them in the fridge. Make sure they’re well covered in an airtight container, and they should be good in the fridge for 4-5 days.

You Can Freeze Mushy Peas for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Mushy Peas?

If you have time, the best way to defrost mushy peas is to remove them from the freezer the night before you plan to enjoy them and allow them to defrost in the fridge.

However, if you’re in a hurry, you can defrost mushy peas in the microwave on a low setting. It’s also possible to use mushy peas straight from frozen, but it’s always better to defrost them before to ensure they cook fully.

Can You Refreeze Mushy Peas?

If you defrost your mushy peas in the fridge overnight, it’s perfectly safe to refreeze. Simply follow the steps listed above and they should be okay for another use.

Just bear in mind that the more times you freeze and defrost food, the more its likely to deteriorate in texture and taste.

Our recommendation is to freeze mushy peas in individual portion sizes, so you don’t have to worry about leftovers and only defrost the right amount.

Do Mushy Peas Freeze Well?

They freeze extremely well. Whether you’re freezing leftovers from your batch cooking, or only want to use half of the tin you’ve picked up from the supermarket, you will have no problems when it comes to freezing mushy peas and using them at a later date.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing mushy peas or peas in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Tinned Mushy Peas?

If you’ve opened a tin of mushy peas but only want to use a small portion then you might find yourself wondering whether or not you can freeze tinned mushy peas. Well, the good news is that you can freeze them. 

Place the leftover tinned mushy peas into a freezer bag, seal it up and freeze. 

Can Marrowfat Peas Be Frozen?

You can freeze marrowfat peas. This is great if you often make traditional mushy peas but don’t want the hassle of constantly having to soak the dried peas overnight.