I recently picked up some purple hull and cream peas from my local Dallas Farmer’s Market and wanted to share with you how to freeze them. Purple Hull Peas are very popular here in the south because of the long hot growing season that we have. I don’t typically grow peas in my garden, but I always pick some up from the market this time of year to have on hand for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I look for pods that are about 50 percent purple as they are perfect for freezing. They should also be mixed with some light green tender pods.

Things You’ll Need

• Colander
• Large pot
• Wire basket with handle (if you don’t have a basket, no worries. Just place your peas directly into the pot)
• Plastic freezer containers or freezer bags
• Freezer tape
• Indelible marker

You can use freezer bags to freeze your peas in which will give you more flexibility in the amount of peas you can fit into each package, based on how many portions you want. Once frozen, purple hull peas retain their flavor and quality for eight to 12 months

Steps to Freezing

1. Rinse peas by running cold water over them while stirring gently with your hand. Examine them as you stir, removing any dark-colored or damaged peas. Place about a pound of the peas in a wire basket if you have one.
2. Bring a gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Immerse the wire basket in the boiling water and boil for one to two minutes. Begin timing when the water returns to a boil.
3. Remove the peas from the boiling water and immediately run cold water over them. Cool the peas as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process
4. Place the peas in plastic freezer containers or freezer bags. When using freezer containers, leave 1/2 inch of space between the top of the peas and the lip of the container.
5. Label the containers using freezer tape and an indelible marker. Include the date on the labels.