Well, after the harvest photo of all our peas, you’re probably not surprised by this post, are you? Last year when I experimented with freezing green beans without blanching them first, I didn’t have enough peas to try the method (or anti-method, ha!) with – we just ate the few that we harvested. As you saw, not so this year.
But because of the success of the green beans – and all the emails and comments on the green bean post from people who: a) tried it and liked the results, or b) they, their parents, or grandparents always did it that way – and the popularity of that article, I’m going ahead and sharing how to freeze snap peas without blanching (or snow peas) before waiting a few months to see the results. I’ve tried them after a week of being in the freezer and liked the results – better than the wimpy, over-cooked, squeaky blanched snap peas of my past.
However, snap peas do seem to have more water content than beans, so the pods do not come out crisp, but the inside peas do and the flavor is still sweet and pleasant with the bit of crisp. Snow peas fair a bit better, probably because there’s not as much air in the pod as snap peas. So, this is one of those, try-it-and-see-if-you-like-it type of methods. For me, this is much better than the alternative.
Of course part of the reason it appeals to me, besides how they come out of the freezer, is because it’s so quick. That’s the thing I love most about eliminating the whole blanching process – well, that and not having to deal with boiling water when it’s hot outside.
Here are the quick & easy steps to freeze snap or snow peas without blanching:
- Strip pods of the tops and strings, as usual. Clean if needed, and dry well. You do NOT need to clean them unless you don’t know where they came from or who handled them. Mine grow organically and never touch the ground, so I don’t bother. IF you do wash, plan to air dry or hand dry well, as water will cause the dreaded ice crystals to form faster.
- Slice pods into 1 to 2-inch pieces. You could leave them whole, but I find cutting into smaller pieces helps detract from the inevitable changes that occur in the freezer to the texture – when they’re smaller, it’s less noticeable.
- Add to a freezer baggie, remove air, label, and freeze.
I know, awesome, right?
MY LATEST VIDEOSI don’t want to leave you, however, without a reminder about my cheap trick for removing air instead of using a seal-a-deal (or whatever they’re called – which if you have, great! I just don’t want the added expense): the straw vacuum sealer method.
How to remove air from a baggie using a straw:
- Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
- Open a small section of the seal, and insert a straw.
- Suck out as much air as you can, until the bag is collapsing around the contents.
- Remove straw and quickly seal as fast as possible.
Does it remove all the air? No. Does it work as well as those seal-a-deals? Probably not.
But does it work better than simply using your hands to remove the air? Yes! And I don’t have to buy a gadget or special baggies. Plus I reuse these for storage when they’re done in the freezer, which you can’t do with the sealed bags.
Have you ever frozen peas? What’s your favorite way to ‘put up’ peas?
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Regarding removing air from the freezer bags:
Fill your baggie with whatever you’re storing.
Immerse the filled baggie in a pail of water to the point just below the zip lock.
Close the zipper. Remove from pail. All the air is pressed out by the weight of the water.
I select my sugar snaps in three sizes. Small tenders for salad. Medium slightly meaty for sauteing. and large meaty, because I missed seeing them, for my vegie and chicken soups.
For freezing raw, I only use the medium and the large. Freezing these two sizes has little negative affect on the end product, saute & soup.
I’m gonna risk it!!! I’m gonna try this.. because I know if I have to blanch it, I’m not going to do it.
We’ve been blanching some of our zucchini and not-blanching others, otherwise freezing them identically, and not sure yet how it worked, but nothing’s turning brown.
I think you’ll like how these turn out. And I don’t ever blanch zucchini – I need to write about that!
Another great way of removing air is to zip all but a corner and submerge in water up to the top and seal. The air will naturally leave the bag.
Just a comment to those who are very concerned about washing food. Google “Food Safety freezing produce” If you have a large freezer that cools to zero degrees or below you won’t have to worry about bugs or diseases. There are very few diseases that will grow below zero temps. Just use foods promptly after thawing! That is how they they make sushi safe to eat, it’s deep frozen for several weeks to kill parasites. The one concern is Listeria (mostly on meat) which is why it’s recommended to cook all meat but you aren’t going to wash it all off even if you try. Here’s one of many sites: https://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/freezing/the-science-of-freezing-foods/
Thank you! This makes a lot of sense.
I’m glad OK found your videos. I did my sugar snap peas and half runner grean beans. Now it’s time for some zucchini. ????????????????????????????
I’m glad, too, Janie!
P,S, Do you HAVE to cut the snow peas to freeze them? Can you leave them whole??? & green beans also?!?! Sorry I forgot to ask earlier! 🙁 Hope to get a reply soon…..my garden is going to go rotten soon if I don’t start picking!!! It’s July 30th today & high time to start picking!!! (maybe even a tiny bit late!!! lol 🙂 thanks for your time AGAIN!!!! 🙂
No, you don’t have to cut the veggies, I just prefer them that way since that is how I tend to use them in cooking. Experiment and see what you like best! And get to picking. 😉
Hi!!! I had NEVER heard of freezing without blanching first, & when I typed in “Easy way to freeze green beans & snow peas” this site came up! When I saw NO BLANCHING, I HAD to read the WHOLE thing….everyone’s comments included!!! lol I am thrilled that I found this site…(years later! lol) because I am terminally ill, & my husband passed away. I am only 50 & my husband was 54 when he passed away 5 yrs. ago….but doing it this way, I can put just enough for ONE person in a baggie, so it would save me time & money!!! I hope you DO post about carrots, as I have TONS of them!!! I live in the “Fruit Belt” in the Niagara Pennisula in Ontario, so we have EVERYTHING here! (except citrus & avocados 🙁 So now that I found this site, I can freeze everything from my garden!!! YAY!!! I don’t have the energy to stand long enough to blanch, & then freeze & tidy up after!!! I’m THRILLED that I found this, cuz I’m a veggie nut!!! I cannot eat a meal without at least 2 veggies!!! lol SO thank you SO MUCH Jami !!!!! Have you ever tried tomatos?! (for stews or sauces) Now it sounds like I’m getting lazy & trying to freeze EVERYTHING with this method!!! By the way, I prefer your method of using a straw much better than submerging the bag in water!!! Less of a mess to clean up….(wash the sink, etc) It’s hard for me to stand that long! BUT….to each their own, right!?!? That goes for ALL the bickering back & forth about washing/not washing your veggies!!! lol I think… DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT FOR YOU!!!! Thanks again Jami & to ALL of you who posted comments….some of you gave me GREAT ideas!!! Sorry I wrote you guys a book, instead of a comment!!! LOL 🙂
Wow, Mystical, you did read all the comments. 😉 First, I’m SO, so very sorry about your prognosis. Your attitude and obvious zest for life, though, is inspiring and I’m so glad I have helped you in some way!
And yes, tomatoes freeze wonderfully! If you core them first (that’s all – just leave whole) the skins will slip off after just a bit of thawing and can be used in any sauce, soup, etc. You can halve them if it’s easier to store, too. I’ve also been known to throw them, cores and all, in baggies and stash them in the freezer when I’m inundated with tomatoes at the height of the season. (the cores aren’t hard that hard to remove when partially thawed).
I haven’t tried carrots (I never grow enough for extras…), but do kale, zucchini, the peas, beans, and corn this way, too (though I do prefer frozen cooked corn because I like using the frozen corn for salads and it’s easier if it’s already cooked).
Blessings to you!
Hi Mystical and Jami! I’ve frozen tomatos for many years. Just wash, make sure the stem is off and put into a ziploc. When I’m cooking stew, soup, or anything that calls for tomatos, just pop some out and your set! I use a FoodSaver. It takes all the air out and seals it. Its great for storing all kinds of foods. This is the easiest way I know to store veggies.
Yes, that’s a great way to freeze tomatoes, which I do, too. I think it does take up a lot of room, though – I only do it at the end of the season when I’m trying to deal with all the tomatoes. 🙂
I am newbee to organic gardening and canning. Any suggestions on carrots last year I just froze the whole carrot YUK soggy mess. Any ideas would be appreciated
The standard advice is to slice the carrots and blanch them (plunge into boiling water for a minute and then into ice water to cool rapidly) and then freeze. Lay on a cookie sheet so and then add to a container so you can pull out just what you need.
That said, I’m now trying many things without blanching first – I’m wondering about freezing grated raw carrots to use in baking, soups, and maybe even carrot fritters/pancakes. I haven’t tried it yet – but now I want to! 🙂 Maybe try a few of each and see what you like?
We leave our carrots in the ground and cover with lots of leaves. We dig fresh delicious carrots well into March. They are sweeter too.
Wash your produce…. Birds and insects poop on vegetation. Microfiber dish drying mats are great for soaking up water.
HAHA! I must be a year behind! I enjoyed the freezing green beans article and grew a ton of green beans and still have 1 bag left (harvested 6-2014) ..they were great!…
Anyways…we all love peas, maybe even more than beans. So I am growing a bunch of snap peas (they look great!). Anyways I have no experience growing or cooking with these so I googled freezing without blanching peas …and here you are! One year ahead of me LOL.
So here we go I’m trying it this year!
Glad you found me again, Dan! We don’t have fresh peas yet (in a few weeks, hopefully…), but still a bag to use up. I like them best in stir fries.
Ha! And here I was thinking that I invented the “Straw Method” of removing air from zip lock baggies just a couple of weeks ago. 🙂 Anyway… Thanks for all of this info as I find myself inundated with 4 cases of Sugar Snaps! I do have the sealer thing and in this instance I can see the convenience of using it! I also have seal type bags that allow you to boil/steam/microwave in them from frozen too.. I’m a happy camper.
Ha! And I’m all for using whatever you have – that sounds great, Anne.
Hi. Straw is good. Vacuum better. Get a turkey baster, pop the bulb off the end and stick the tube end in your vacuum wand. Vacuum sucks it into wand and you have the small end of the tube to put in the hole where your straw would go. Works great!!!
That’s a new one I’ve never heard Ricardo! What a fun thing to try. 🙂
I just read about you not blanching your green beans and that you do your corn the same way. Could you [lease explain how you process your corn before freezing if you don’t blanch or cook the corn. Thanks. I use the straw trick. My Great Aunt should me that trick many years ago. 🙂
Nice to know I have tradition on my side with the straw trick, Jane! For corn, I usually preserve it 3 ways: unblanched whole cobs (6 to a gallon ziplock with air out), unblanched kernels cut off the cobs, and cooked kernels that are usually leftover from some meal. I like the cooked corn to use from the freezer in salads and the uncooked kernels I use in soups and stews. The cobs I drop frozen into boiling water for about 5 minutes or until done. I really need to do a post about this, ha! 🙂
We used the method to store our sugar snap peas… blah disgusting. The peas have a horrible taste.
Wow sorry, Tracy, we’ve never experienced that and think they’re fine in soups, curries and such.
Great idea fet up blanching England is having a great summer so lots of stuff,this will save me loads of time,thanks
After you freeze the sugar snap peas what are some ideas for what to do with them given that they are not as crisp?
I use them for soups, stews and even stir fries – they’re okay with the other crisp veggies.
as an alternative to the straw, you can place the filled bags in water up to near the seal strip, and the water will push the air out. Seal it while still holding the bag mostly submerged.
I don’t know why you think vacuum seal bags are not re-usable – I wash and reuse mine until they are too small to be practical. The money you save buying cheese, meats, veggies in large quantities…like a flat of blueberries etc – all vacuum sealed into the freezer and in great shape for at least 2 years – cheese will last in my fridge for 2 years if I buy a 2 lb block of something I use rarely. My sugar snap peas are ready to start freezing and I’m trying your method today as long as I leave fresh ones on the plants for the dog…..her absolutely favorite treat – she will go lay down by the young plants like she is willing to wait…
Ha, that’s just like our dog, too, Cynthia! I’ve only gone by the few people I know with vacuum sealers and they used new ones each year. Glad to know you can reuse them. 🙂
I recently had a friend tell me she just freezes corn on the cob in the husks. I just put them in a baggies, do not wash, and freeze them. Then I boil when we want some. They come out delicious. So much easier than blanching.
I am sad to find that I bought “cheap” brands of baggies. Plus the sliders don’t seem to seal airtight. I guess I will have to spend MORE money now and buy some name brand bags?
I always use ziplock freezer baggies, Penny – they are a good price at Costco and do a good job.
Can you do this with French style string beans
I haven’t ever tried it, so I don’t know. You can do a small test batch and freeze for a week or two before cooking.
FYI…… Better than using a straw to remove air from the zip lock bags, zip it up most of the way and submerge in water slightly warmer than the produce, and finish zipping as you submerge to the top. The warmer water forces the air out of the bag, and works almost as good as the machines.
I have always blanched all my veggies, but when I saw your article I decided to try a test batch, did some blanched and some as you suggested, I was sure the blanched would be much better, they had a prettier color, but I must admit, the un blanched ones were better, much better, easier, faster…. and your method is now my now method too, Thank you, (and this just shows, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!)
I really was just like you, Charlotte – I tried it just because my family complained so much about the squeaky beans, but I didn’t really think it would make that much difference. So glad it did – bonus that it’s waaay easier, too. 🙂
You can reuse your seal and saver bags by the way!
To get the air out of my baggies, I close up the baggie and then open just a small part of the seal in the corner and suck out the air with my lips, and then seal it in one motion. almost as good as a seal-a-meal!
You can also add the contents to be frozen to a baggy and dip them in a bucket of water. the water forces the air out of the top of the baggy thus vaccuum packing.
Late also–but not my fault. I planted sugar snap peas for a fall harvest–I was expecting them to be done by late Oct. Nature, however, had other plans. The seeds were a bag I had hanging around for over 2 yrs. I figured the garden is empty, why not plant them–all (38 Sq’). My thoughts were that the harvest would small because of the old and ill-stored seeds & at least I could compost the nitrogen rich plants. The plants grew well enough and all seemed good; but no peas formed. I waited and thought they’ll come along–maybe a Thanksgiving harvest. Nothing. Then Dec. we had a week of hard freeze and heavy wind. Plants looked pitiful. No time to garden because the holidays were upon me. By early Jan, the plants were perky & standing upright with a few flowers. Well, at least we’ll get a handful or so. By Feb we had flowers galore. Picked and ate all we wanted in Feb. Beginning of March and I’ve picked 6-7 dry qts (filled my largest stainless steel bowl) every other day. So far we’ve been eating them fast enough. March 6 and we have massive flowers for peas to come. I can tell I will be picking at least my big bowl each day starting today. With this unexpected bounty I need a quick process and your process is the answer. Just hope I have the freezer space. I have read they will keep 2 wks in the refrigerator. I do have a sealing gadget (gift) that I never use so I’ll put those special bags to use. Funny thing is we live in So California and the peas are holding up my spring planting, But they have earned the right to stay and run the course. At least we have a long growing season.
Thanks for experimenting–you word is good enough for me! Sorry so long winded.
Oh my – what a story! I would’ve thought the peas would’ve been long gone, too. Pretty hardy little guys. 🙂
CTY, I live on the west central coast of Florida and I am having the same bounty with my sugar snap peas due to the cooler winter and spring. It was so hot last spring, they did very poorly. This batch, started in late October, is the most prolific I have ever had. It was very slow to start, but I just filled an entire gallon Ziplock bag from only 3 Earthboxes! We have been eating and sharing them, but now I will try some in the freezer. Have you tried Ina Garten’s recipe for them? Delicious! The only downside is that I need to get my spring garden in before it’s too late! I have 20 Earthboxes with tomatoes, peppers, sugar snaps, broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries, onions, and herbs.
This is a bit late because I have just found the site and love the ideas on this website. It says “Speak your mind” so here’s what’s on my mind after reading Cindy’s comments – August 7.
Funny! I thought that the reason you were encouraged to wash your produce prior to eating it was because of the untold number of chemicals and poisons used on the vegetables you buy in the supermarket etc. I have done years of research into the subject and I think I would rather have the crawling bugs, flying birds etc. than to swallow the number of chemicals sprayed on crops that we consume and feed to our kids. But as Jami says, “You gotta do what you feel comfortable with” so if washing is your thing then you should wash your produce and your hands before processing and for those who don’t think it is necessary then that should be okay too! Each to his own!! May we always have the freedom to choose what we do and how we do it.
I appreciate your take on this, Jane – late or not! Thanks you. 🙂
You cannot be too clean with your food…period, no matter where it comes from
You absolutely can (be “too clean” with your food). Ever heard of the hygiene hypothesis? We NEED friendly bacteria, and our paranoid attempts to sterilize everything is leading to all sorts of serious health problems, particular auto-immune disorders. I have gone back to the old fashioned art of live fermentation and the probiotics have benefitted my health tremendously.
FYI, those chemicals don’t wash off well. It’s why they’re used–they persist. Sometimes they even soak through the skin or peel and wind up on the part you eat (assuming a fruit/veg where you don’t eat the skin or peel).
What if I just spread the peas, beans, whatever, on a cookie sheet in the freezer and bagged them after freezing?
Sure, Ed, I’ve read where people do that – called ‘flash freezing’ or something. Might take up more room, as the frozen produce wouldn’t compress in the bag? Not sure the difference in taste/texture – I should try some and see what they’re like!
I just froze a cookie sheet of bush beans, along with several bags, suitably “straw vaccumed”. Lots more to do. Peaches are ripe and ready for tray freezing…will try the lemon juice and sugar method. Pole beans are next. Will soy beans survive the no-blanch method?
I haven’t tried it, Ed, but it seems reasonable to me that they would. Maybe try a test batch? Let us know!
The good thing about flash freezing is the individual items don’t stick to one another in the freezer after you’ve put them together in the bag. Makes measuring out for recipes MUCH easier, not to mention making things fit into round bowls once they’ve frozen in a square bag.
So true, Dana! Thanks for all your input here. 🙂
I do the sliced okra too. I place it on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. I take it out and put it in air free bags. I also place corn meal in a bag, place the cut okra in it, toss it around and then spread it on the cookie sheet and freeze the same way. Tastes great and lasts well over a year.
NO WASHING of produce?? Seriously. Wash everything. There are bugs crawling on your food as it grows and flying birds pooping randomly. Not to mention wandering animals that stop by for a sniff, taste or whatever. I think some of these food poisoning episodes in the news (and how many don’t make national headlines…a lot, like the ones from local and home gardens) are related to people just not washing their food. And what are we told by the medical experts? WASH YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU EAT IT. Freezing, canning, and then the heating involved in preparation does kill most bacteria. But why risk it? Be your own best advocate and wash food before processing. How clean are our hands when we harvest? Think of all the things the food touches before it goes into those new zip bags?
All good points, Cindy – we all gotta do what we feel comfortable with! 🙂
You did know freezing kills germs, right?
We’re actually finding now that constantly sanitizing our environments is making us sicker and also giving our kids more allergies because they no longer train their immune systems to respond to outside germs. If the bugs and animals in question are bugs and animals we would encounter if we just went outside a little bit every day, our bodies should be used to them. It’s not like animals leave rabies on pea pods.
Also, these same authorities that tell us to sterilize every surface in sight also tell us that plastic cutting boards are more sanitary than wooden ones even though experimentation (as opposed to guessing) has proven otherwise. You’ll forgive me if I don’t take their every word for absolute gospel.
NONE of this is to say I’d force you to not wash your stuff. But YOU shouldn’t cast aspersions on other people for making different choices.
AMEN. Thank you. Lots of people have the illusion that they can make everything perfectly clean and safe, to the point of being practically sterile.
I just use a nice big thick corelle or unbreakable type plate for cutting most of my food . that way the debate over plastic and wood cutting boards doesnt matter .
I do believe I agree about washing first esp. when you don’t know where the beans were grown. I have about 2 # of green beans ready to eat or freeze. I will eat some now and freeze some without blanching.
I’d definitely wash any produce that I didn’t know where it came from, too, Donna. That’s why I make sure to say that I grow my own and do it organically. 🙂
You obsess WAY too much! LOL. I’m 63 yrs and I NEVER wash a veggie whether it comes from my garden or grocery unless it has dirt of something that I can easily visibly see – that includes mushrooms too. Been cooking all my life since age 14 and I’m healthy – never can say I’ve remembering experiencing any bad negative health issues either. You need the bad bugs as much as the good bugs in you. Your gut is nearly 75%+ bugs. They (your microbine) work overtime for you. The stronger and more diverse it is, the better it is, the healthier you are. Live a little – try fermented food too. Read Dr. Josh Axe’s new book out – “Eat Dirt” and don’t obsess so much over being too clean.
Thanks Mamabear, I didn’t know you could freeze corn without blanching! Do you slice it off the cobb first, or freeze it whole?
Great trick with the straw. I’m gonna try this method when we get our fall crop of peas. Thanks, Jami!
Another way even easier than a straw is to fill the sink with water, then push the bag under the water with just a tiny portion of the zip lock opening open. When the air is out, quickly finish the zip lock.
I am SO grateful for this post! We are so overrun with snow peas right now! We could make stir fry for our family of seven for three meals a day EVERY DAY and still not know what else to do with the rest of the peas on the vines! I am going to start freezing them tomorrow!!
Ha! I know the feeling, Michele. 🙂
I’ve done this too! The straw is brilliant and I”m so happy blanching is unneccesary.
PS. I’m glad to find i’m not the only rebel preserver out there 🙂
I haven’t successfully grown peas and havent found any at the local farmers market, but i have been freezing raw, unblanched sliced okra for years and it keeps for about a year and still tastes good.
I also found that our family REALLY LOVES fresh frozen corn raw and unblanched. I dont grow it, but have to buy it from local farmer markets. I dont want to spend the money on ice and dont have enough ice to keep it from continuing to cook after blanching so it turns out nasty if i blanch it. I pretty much freeze everythin raw that i freeze from the garden.
My grandma taught me that same trick with the straw years ago. Works great! (although my hubby DID get me a sealer for christmas last year :). I love it!
Wow, I’ll have to try it with corn, too – I’d love to not have to cook first, as you probably could guess. We rebels need to stick together! 🙂
I do this with corn also, it turns out great. Sometimes, I even leave it in the husks, just cut off the top and bottom and freeze it that way. I wish we liked peas….
I always shell the peas and freeze them straight out of the pod. They are just like frozen peas you buy, just taste better. Never tried to freeze snow peas or any kind in the pod.