How to Cook and Freeze Dried Black Eyed Peas
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How to Cook and Freeze Dried Black Eyed Peas
Description
This method details preparing dried black-eyed peas by quick soaking: boiling for 2 minutes, then letting them soak for an hour. This rehydrates the peas, visibly increasing their size and shortening cooking time. After soaking, peas are drained and rinsed to remove compounds that can cause digestive discomfort.
Fresh water is used for cooking, maintaining a recommended ratio of 10 cups per pound of dried peas. Salt can be optionally added during cooking to enhance flavor. Once cooked tender, the peas can be used immediately or frozen for future meals.
The recipe helps cooks handle dried black-eyed peas efficiently, ensuring they become soft and digestible. It provides a foundation for including black-eyed peas in savory dishes and offers guidance on quantities for cooked yields and storage.
Ingredients
- 1 pound black-eyed peas dried
- 10 cups water plus more for quick soaking
- salt optional
Instructions
- The method below uses a ratio of 10 cups of water per pound of dried black-eyed peas, if you plan to use a different amount, please adjust accordingly using this ratio.Quick soaking your black-eyed peas isn't a must, but I recommend it for speeding up the cooking process. Place your dried peas in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the peas to soak for 1 hour. You may notice that the water level has decreased and the peas have grown in size, indicating that they have absorbed some of the water. This is a good sign!
- After soaking, drain the peas and give them a good rinse.
- Place the beans in a large pot and cover again with the same ratio of fresh water. It is important to use fresh water for boiling; the soaking water contains oligosaccharides, released from the beans during soaking, that can lead to digestive discomfort. Add salt to the cooking water if desired to give the beans more flavor (I use about 1 tablespoon salt for every 10 cups of water). Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until you reach desired tenderness. I recommend stirring the beans a few times throughout the cooking process so that the beans at the bottom of the pot don’t soften before the beans at the top.
- Drain the peas in a colander. They are now cooked, prepared, and ready to use in recipes or however you'd like. If you plan to freeze the beans, allow them to cool first. You can speed up this process by rinsing them with cold water. Then transfer them to a freezer safe container, I recommend resealable bags, and freeze until needed. I like to measure out 1 ¾ cups of beans in each bag, which is equivalent to the amount in a standard sized can. They will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- When ready to use your frozen black-eyed peas, remove them from the freezer and thaw. They can be reheated on the stovetop, added to soups and stews or used however you would use canned black-eyed peas.
Notes
- Quick-soak black-eyed peas by boiling 2 minutes then soaking 1 hour to reduce overall cooking time.
- Always drain and rinse peas after soaking to remove oligosaccharides and reduce digestive discomfort.
- Use fresh water for cooking, maintaining 10 cups of water per pound of dried peas for best results.
- Salt can be added to cooking water to enhance flavor but is optional.
- One pound of dried peas yields about 2.8 pounds cooked, approximately 5 1/2 cups, suitable for multiple servings or freezing.
- Large pot with lid and colander are needed; freezer-safe containers recommended for storage.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 152 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 152kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Sodium | 19mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 504mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 25IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 0.7mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 57mg | 6% |
| Iron | 3.7mg | 21% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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Overall Rating
5
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