Putting Up Peas

[cover2]

End of June, peas (and butter beans) are coming in. Time to put up some for the months ahead. This year we are putting up three hampers of Top Pick (white peas), one hamper of Pink Eyes (black eyes), and one hamper of white butter beans. Don’t grow them anymore, so we buy from a local produce outfit. Nice and clean, not old, not buggy.

Step 1 is to rinse and pick out any stems or bad peas…

Step 2 is to bring to a boil, blanching the peas, and scooping off the scum that rises…

Step 3 rinse with cold water and spread out for a final going through and to finish cooling…

Step 4 is to bag them up (we do 2 cups per) and then into the freezer…

We get about 10 bags to the hamper. Glad to have them, especially good round the holidays, but any meal is good!

 

[Fodderwing]

Good looking stuff.

wife & I put up three 5 gallon buckets worth of peas.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

We put up about 16 jars of strawberry jam a few weeks ago. Will get into apple season and we'll make apple butter.

 

[CDGator]

End of June, peas (and butter beans) are coming in. Time to put up some for the months ahead. This year we are putting up three hampers of Top Pick (white peas), one hamper of Pink Eyes (black eyes), and one hamper of white butter beans. Don’t grow them anymore, so we buy from a local produce outfit. Nice and clean, not old, not buggy.

Step 1 is to rinse and pick out any stems or bad peas…
View attachment 44694
Step 2 is to bring to a boil, blanching the peas, and scooping off the scum that rises…
View attachment 44695
Step 3 rinse with cold water and spread out for a final going through and to finish cooling…
View attachment 44696
Step 4 is to bag them up (we do 2 cups per) and then into the freezer…
View attachment 44697
We get about 10 bags to the hamper. Glad to have them, especially good round the holidays, but any meal is good!

Nice - thanks for the steps. I’ve never done these before but might try it this year.

 

[soflagator]

Looks good, cover.

I’ve mentioned before that as a kid, I spent hours and hours of my summer doing that and tomatoes(after picking both, yay). Those pics give me flashbacks. But there’s still something great about putting away food to use later that I do enjoy. Nice work.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

End of June, peas (and butter beans) are coming in. Time to put up some for the months ahead. This year we are putting up three hampers of Top Pick (white peas), one hamper of Pink Eyes (black eyes), and one hamper of white butter beans. Don’t grow them anymore, so we buy from a local produce outfit. Nice and clean, not old, not buggy.

Step 1 is to rinse and pick out any stems or bad peas…
View attachment 44694
Step 2 is to bring to a boil, blanching the peas, and scooping off the scum that rises…
View attachment 44695
Step 3 rinse with cold water and spread out for a final going through and to finish cooling…
View attachment 44696
Step 4 is to bag them up (we do 2 cups per) and then into the freezer…
View attachment 44697
We get about 10 bags to the hamper. Glad to have them, especially good round the holidays, but any meal is good!

Nice work Cover. Peas are definitely my favorite.

My SIL grew up in Andalusia, AL - not too far from you I suspect - and still goes home every year to “put up” peas, corn, and other veggies. One year, she had way too many peas and brought us some bags of what she called “cream 8’s”. I’d never heard of them before, but they were delicious. Are you familiar with these and do they have another name?

 

[cover2]

Looks good, cover.

I’ve mentioned before that as a kid, I spent hours and hours of my summer doing that and tomatoes(after picking both, yay). Those pics give me flashbacks. But there’s still something great about putting away food to use later that I do enjoy. Nice work.

I feel you. Before I was old enough to go and work on my Granddaddy’s farm I would go with my mama and grandmama to the canning plant. It was like standing next to a blast furnace. I recall your recounting of similar experiences. Still, I enjoy putting up the produce. Not only good to eat, but it reminds me of better days. Every time we eat peas, I can see my granddaddy sitting down and chipping up a cayenne pepper into his serving. There was also sliced tomatoes on the table along with cucumber in white vinegar. Those were great days!

 

[cover2]

Nice work Cover. Peas are definitely my favorite.

My SIL grew up in Andalusia, AL - not too far from you I suspect - and still goes home every year to “put up” peas, corn, and other veggies. One year, she had way too many peas and brought us some bags of what she called “cream 8’s”. I’d never heard of them before, but they were delicious. Are you familiar with these and do they have another name?

There’s a line of “Cream” peas, all very good. We have grown the “Cream 40” in the past. Haven’t seen them as much around these parts as we once did. I mentioned in another post that we had been buying “Sedandy” and they are very good. Didn’t have those available this year and got “Top Picks,” also very good. I think the key is getting the peas from the early pickings so you don’t get too many older peas (white instead of green and more firm). We have gotten “Zippers” in the past and as long as they’re young, they’re good. If not, they can be like eating buckshot, to us anyway.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

There’s a line of “Cream” peas, all very good. We have grown the “Cream 40” in the past. Haven’t seen them as much around these parts as we once did. I mentioned in another post that we had been buying “Sedandy” and they are very good. Didn’t have those available this year and got “Top Picks,” also very good. I think the key is getting the peas from the early pickings so you don’t get too many older peas (white instead of green and more firm). We have gotten “Zippers” in the past and as long as they’re young, they’re good. If not, they can be like eating buckshot, to us anyway.

The ones she gave us tasted like they had already been buttered. They were that creamy.

 

[CDGator]

Big success at the farmers market thanks to you @cover2 . I knew more of what to look for today. I was supposed to head over to Alligator Point but the radar said otherwise. Came back and blanched the peas and waiting for them to dry before freezing them. Brought my cooler with me and will take them back home next week.

 

[grengadgy]

We always put the peas and beans up in their own broth(keep all of that good flavor). That helps alleviate freezer burn also. We have found bags of peas in the bottom of our 28 cu ft chest freezer at least 6 years old with no burn. Love those Lady Finger white acre peas.

 

[grengadgy]

We put up about 16 jars of strawberry jam a few weeks ago. Will get into apple season and we'll make apple butter.

Have you ever tried freezer strawberry jam? It's a no cook jam , taste really fresh.

 

[cover2]

Big success at the farmers market thanks to you @cover2 . I knew more of what to look for today. I was supposed to head over to Alligator Point but the radar said otherwise. Came back and blanched the peas and waiting for them to dry before freezing them. Brought my cooler with me and will take them back home next week.


View attachment 44772 View attachment 44773

Heck to the yeah! Redneck Holy Trinity…black eyes, butter beans, and white peas! If this doesn’t elevate you several notches up in Ken-tuck-eee then you may as well come south. Looks great!

 

[URGatorBait]

no one gonna say anything about @cover2 finger nails in those pics

 

[cover2]

no one gonna say anything about @cover2 finger nails in those pics

…and my wedding and engagement rings!
A keen eye have ye, my wee friend!

 

[grengadgy]

Not mentioned here but we blanch sliced okra and creamed corn in the oven. Spray a little "Pam" on your baking pan to help with sticking and stir occasionally for even heating.

 

[CDGator]

5lb large gulf shrimp

 

[soflagator]

We always put the peas and beans up in their own broth(keep all of that good flavor). That helps alleviate freezer burn also. We have found bags of peas in the bottom of our 28 cu ft chest freezer at least 6 years old with no burn. Love those Lady Finger white acre peas.

Thought that was a Scotch egg.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

no one gonna say anything about @cover2 finger nails in those pics

He's a coke fiend. Just look the other way and everything will be ok.

 

[Fodderwing]

Wife & I scored a bushel of black eyes yesterday, shelled last night. We will blanch and freeze them today.