If you had bought a lot of peas from your local supermarket, you must have frozen them so that you can quickly access them the next time you want to prepare a dish. If you have defrosted more peas than you need for that new recipe, you might be thinking, what to do with the unused peas. This thought might leave you wondering, can you refreeze peas?
You can freeze cooked/uncooked peas for up to a year. Similarly, the partially thawed peas can also be refrozen again if you handle them with care. However, repeatedly freezing them might alter the flavor to some degree. So, it is better to consume them early.
Unlike some vegetables, peas taste almost fresh even after refreezing. If you want to learn more about the safe refreezing of peas, you can take a look at these carefully picked safety tips.
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Is it Safe to Refreeze Peas?
Peas are an excellent source of many Vitamins and additional antioxidants, making them super beneficial for your health. Thus, refreezing them so that you can have them anytime you want is a great decision.
If you want to store peas safely to use these greens in the future, you should know that they can remain frozen even after thawing. Peas are one of those vegetables that can survive refreezing.
However, like with all other foods, there are a few do’s and don’ts of refreezing peas, which you need to be mindful of if you want to achieve risk-free refreezing of peas. First of all, how you defrost the peas determines whether or not you should refreeze them.
You can securely refreeze the peas only if you defrosted them in a refrigerator. If you have defrosted peas over the counter, in a microwave, or under cold running water, it’s best to cook the peas before you pop them back into the freezer.
You should avoid refreezing peas or any other vegetables that have been sitting out of the refrigerator for more than 1-2 hours at a temperature greater than 40 F.
If you leave any food out of the fridge for too long, the chances of bacterial formation are very high.
Another thing to remember before refreezing peas is to protect them from air exposure. Air can quickly cause the bacteria present on the surface to multiply. So try to place the vegetables in a vacuum-sealed container or an airtight bag.
Like partially defrosted meat, you can also refreeze partially defrosted vegetables like peas. Suppose you have accidentally partially defrosted peas on the countertop, but the 1-hour limit hasn’t yet crossed. In that case, you can pop the partially thawed peas back into the freezer.
How to Safely Refreeze Peas?
Peas add a tasty bite to salads, and they also serve as a great side dish alongside steaks and rice. If you want to refreeze peas in the safest way possible, you can follow the steps enlisted below.
- Partially defrosted uncooked peas can be put back into the freezer if the 1-hour limit hasn’t crossed. But if they have been sitting out for longer, it’s best to cook them before refreezing.
- In the case of wholly defrosted peas, start by first boiling or cooking them, depending on your preference.
- After that, let the peas cool down thoroughly before proceeding with the next steps. While the peas are drying, spread them evenly on a paper towel so that they cool down completely. The paper towels will also absorb all the excess water.
- Next, place the dried peas in a Ziploc or a vacuum-sealed bag.
- Label the refreezing date on the bag to remember the exact date of refreezing.
- Place the labeled bag into the freezer and place it in a cold corner in the freezer until the next time you want to use them.
Note: When dealing with cooked/boiled peas, make sure to dry them well before placing them into the bag for refreezing, as excess water might cause the peas to stick together.
How Long Can You Refreeze Peas?
If you work cautiously enough, you can refreeze uncooked/cooked peas for up to a year. If you don’t see a massive difference in appearance, you can continue to refreeze them for 2-3 more months. Peas refreeze well so you can enjoy the optimum taste for up to one year of refreezing.
Once the 1-year limit crosses, you should avoid consuming the peas. It is because the nutrients and enzymes present in them start breaking down after the one-year limit has passed.
To ensure safe refreezing of peas for up to one whole year, make sure to prepare the peas well for refreezing. Or else the peas might start losing their color and texture even before the recommended limit passes.
Can You Refreeze Peas more than Once?
Refreezing defrosted peas more than once is safe, as long as they have thawed in a refrigerator only. However, it is not a good idea to do so. Freezing the peas and other vegetables several times affects their taste and texture.
If you are handling uncooked peas, freezing them twice won’t cause them much harm. But to ensure they refreeze thoroughly, please make sure to pop them back into the freezer within an hour.
In the case of cooked peas, you should avoid refreezing them more than once because refreezing the cooked peas, again and again, will make them mushy and less enjoyable.
Though refreezing the peas is safe yet it will lower their quality. To avoid this situation, consider refreezing the peas in portions so that you can save the unrequired peas from unnecessary thawing.
Conclusion
Now that you know it is safe for you to refreeze peas thawed in the refrigerator, you can safely pop the whole batch into the freezer and store them for up to a year. Before refreezing, please make sure to dry up the excess water.
And, if you have thawed peas in a surplus amount, you can refreeze them again. But, it will mess with the quality a little. Feezing them in separate batches is a much better alternative.
To learn more about the exact refreezing process, you can look at the best way to refreeze peas, where we discussed the steps to refreeze cooked/uncooked peas.
