Canning Peas
Pressure canning peas makes them shelf stable, ready to heat and eat right out of the jar all year. Shelled garden peas are raw packed in boiling water and pressure canned in pints or quarts.
Servings: 36 servings, makes 9 pints
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 lbs Garden Peas in the pod, as purchased, see notes
- 10 cups Water boiling, about 1 to 1 1/4 cups per pint
- 4 1/2 tsp Salt optional, 1/2 tsp per pint or 1 tsp per quart
Instructions
- Shell and wash the peas. Use shelling peas only. Snap peas and snow peas aren't canned.
- Put 2 to 3 inches of water in the pressure canner and heat it to about 140 degrees F, very hot but not simmering. For a hot pack, heat it to about 180 degrees F instead (see notes).
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
- Add the salt to the hot jars if you're using it. Fill the jars loosely with the raw peas, leaving 1 inch headspace. Don't shake or press them down.
- Pour boiling water over the peas, keeping 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and apply the lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Load the jars into the canner, lock the lid, and turn the heat to high. Once steam flows from the vent, let it vent for 10 minutes before adding the weight or closing the petcock.
- Process pints or quarts for 40 minutes at 10 lbs pressure in a weighted gauge canner or 11 lbs in a dial gauge canner, adjusting for altitude (see notes). Start timing once the canner reaches pressure, and keep the pressure steady.
- Turn off the heat and let the canner return to zero pressure on its own. Remove the weight or open the petcock, wait 10 minutes, then take off the lid, tilting it away from you, and lift the jars out.
- Cool the jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use them within a few days.
Notes
Recipe source: This follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation's tested process for shelled green peas.
Yield: A 9 pint canner load takes about 20 pounds of peas in the pod, and a 7 quart load about 31 1/2 pounds. Shelled, that's about 9 ounces of peas for a regular mouth pint, or 10 ounces for a wide mouth pint, and double that for quarts.
Jar sizes: Can peas in half pints, pints or quarts, never anything larger. Half pints process for the pint time.
Hot pack: Boil the shelled peas for 2 minutes, pack them loosely, and cover them with the cooking water or fresh boiling water, leaving 1 inch headspace. Start with the canner water at about 180 degrees F. Raw and hot packs process for the same time.
Low acid: Peas must be pressure canned. Never water bath can them.
Altitude adjustments: The canning time is always 40 minutes for pints or quarts, at any altitude. Only the pressure changes as you go up.
Dial Gauge Canners
- 0 to 2,000 feet: 11 lbs
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 lbs
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 lbs
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 lbs
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 lbs
- Above 1,000 feet: 15 lbs
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup prepared | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1896IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
