During the summer months, sugar snap peas can grow in abundance and they make for a delicious snack. If you have been lucky enough to have a great harvest of sugar snap peas, you might be wondering how best to preserve them?
Can You Freeze Sugar Snap Peas?
Yes, you can freeze sugar snap peas for up to 8 months. Blanch them briefly in boiling water before draining, bagging up and then freezing.
Do Do Sugar Snap Peas freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Sugar Snap Peas? No
How to Freeze Sugar Snap Peas
There is a bit of a process to freezing fresh sugar snap peas correctly, but this is all done to preserve their delicious sweet freshness.
If you were to stick raw sugar snap peas, even if they were fresh, into the freezer they would eventually turn brown and go somewhat slimy which is not very appetising!
So, how do you prepare sugar snap peas before they go into the freezer?
- Blanch the Sugar Snap Peas: Fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. In the meantime, prepare the peas and then pour into the pan. Blanch for no more than 1.5 minutes. Promptly remove from the heat and drain.
- Ice Bath: Immediately after draining, place the peas into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. This stops the cooking process. Allow the peas to drip dry or pat them with a towel.
- Place Onto a Tray: Tip the cooled and dry sugar snap peas onto a baking tray and place this into the freezer for around an hour or two until they have frozen solid.
- Freeze: Remove the sugar snaps from the tray and place them into containers or into freezer-safe bags. Label and date the container and then place into the freezer.
You can also freeze similar vegetables in mixed bags with sugar snap peas including mangetout, runner beans and tenderstem broccoli.
4 Tips for Freezing Sugar Snap Peas
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 4 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing sugar snap peas to have the best results:
Snap Off the Ends
Before blanching, you’ll want to snap off the end of the pea and pull slightly to remove the tough string along the side of the pod (if there is one). This makes the peas easier to cook with and eat once they’ve been added to a dish.
Pat Dry
Once the sugar snap peas have been blanched, pat them dry or leave them to drip dry in a colander before adding them into a freezer bag.
Leave Space at the Top
If you are using a plastic box to contain the peas in the freezer, leave some space at the top of the box to allow for expansion in the freezer.
Label the Bags
Given that sugar snap peas can last quite a long time in the freezer, it’s always a good idea to label the bag with the date you froze them to remind you how long they’ve been in there.
How Long Can You Freeze Sugar Snap Peas?
Sugar snap peas that have been frozen from fresh can last in the freezer for up to 8 months. They will still be good beyond this time but the quality may have degraded.
When freezing sugar snap peas, make sure you include the date that they were frozen and/or the date they need to be used on the label to avoid wasting them in future.
How Do You Defrost Sugar Snap Peas?
It’s really easy to defrost sugar snap peas! As with any other frozen fruit or vegetable, you don’t need to thaw them before use.
This means that you can simply add the frozen sugar snap peas directly into your favourite dish and they will cook normally.
If you are cooking the peas on their own, drop them into boiling water for 3-10 minutes until desired texture. You could also steam the peas, though allow a little extra time if using this method.
Can You Refreeze Sugar Snap Peas?
Not really. By freezing them the first time, you have now weakened the cell walls in the peas, so thawing, blanching and refreezing isn’t a good idea as it will alter the texture and structural integrity of the pod too much.
If you can’t blanch and freeze right away, store your peas in the refrigerator. They should last a few days until you get around to getting them frozen.
Do Sugar Snap Peas Freeze Well?
Yes, when prepared correctly sugar snap peas freeze really well and can be stored for up to 8 months.
Most fruit and veg will freeze well, especially when frozen from fresh and it is also really easy to then add the frozen peas straight into a dish when cooking.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing sugar snap peas, then these may help:
Although it is safe to do so, we would avoid freezing sugar snap peas without blanching them. Blanching them will lock in their colour, flavour, texture and nutrients.
You can pop them into boiling water for 5 minutes or so, from frozen, to cook them. There is no need to thaw them beforehand.
