Trying to make a fresh dish with vegetables that will impress your guests and your family? Canned peas are a great go-to when you want to add nutrients to a dish. Peas are infamous for being pretty bland though. Thankfully there are simple ways you can season them to make them a perfect addition to any meal.
If you have peas in your pantry and are wondering how to make them into a tasty dish, here are some tricks and tips for how to season them.
What are canned peas?
Canned peas are from the seeds of pea plants. After the peas have been harvested, they are dried and then shipped to a processing plant. They are usually mixed with water and sometimes green dye before being put into cans.
An unopened can of peas that is stored properly will stay good for about 3 to 5 years. Even if the expiration date is a few years, canned peas are often safe to eat for longer. You should make sure you store them in a dry and dark place like the pantry.
How to season canned peas
There are numerous ways to season canned peas. The best way to season them depends on how you want to serve them as some seasons will go better with some dishes compared to others. One of the best things about peas is that they are extremely versatile and can be put in a large variety of dishes.
Before adding seasoning, make sure to simmer them in water for about 10 minutes so they become soft. You can also add salt to the water before simmering them to give them additional flavour. Some people even add a pinch of sugar if they are cooking a recipe that requires the peas to be sweet.
You can then drain the peas and start the seasoning process. Here are some great ways to season the peas:
- Sauté the peas in a saucepan with butter, salt, and pepper. Make sure to stir the peas to ensure the salt and pepper gets on every pea equally.
- You can also add garlic and shallots to the butter for more seasoning. Just make sure the garlic is soft before putting it into the butter.
- Remember that since the peas are cooked you do not need to sauté them for very long or they will get very hard and burn.
If you do not want to use salt or want a little more flavour compared to salt, you can use herbs instead:
- Use herbs to give the peas some flavour by adding them once the peas are sautéing in the butter. Add just a small spoonful or you might get an overwhelming flavour.
- If you want some truly hard-tasting peas, you can bruise the herbs a little and then add them to the peas after you have taken them off the heat.
- No matter which method you try, make sure to stir in the herbs to make sure they are evenly distributed.
- Some herb ideas include mint if you want to bring out the sweetness of the peas. If you want a savoury flavour, you can use rosemary, sage, or basil.
- Some herbs, like rosemary, are very strong and should only be used during the sautéing process or added to the butter so you do not end up with a harsh flavour.
Once the peas have been sauteed in butter and a few spices, you can also add in some additional spices before serving them. Peas have a mild flavour, so you can add in many different spices and still have peas without an overwhelming flavour.
Some of the most common spices to use after sautéing include paprika, turmeric, dill, oregano, allspice, caraway, and thyme.
If you do not have any of these spices, just add some olive oil and a vinaigrette to get some additional flavour.
Tips and tricks to make tasty canned peas
There are many things you can do to make sure canned peas have a unique flavour. Here are some simple tips and tricks to try:
- Add a handful of peas and blend with apples, cucumbers, and kiwis to make a healthy smoothie. You shouldn’t even be able to tell the peas are in there.
- Make creamed peas with butter flour, half and half, and white sugar. Add everything to a bowl with the peas and then simmer in a saucepan until it thickens. You can then add salt and serve.
- Male pasta salad with pasta, smoked meat, raw veggies, and Italian salad dressing. Drain and rinse the peas and then add them to the pasta salad.
- For a simple thing to do with your peas, just put them in the air dryer at 375F for two minutes. Before putting them in the air fryer, you can add some salt, pepper, and other spices like garlic powder if you want them to taste stronger.
- Cook the canned peas on the stove by sautéing them in butter with a pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar. Once they’re done, you can sprinkle on some red pepper flakes.
- Make sweet peas with brown sugar. Cook them on the stove and when they are almost done, add a tablespoon of brown sugar. You can also add one or two tablespoons of butter for a richer flavour.
- For a meaty taste, you can crumble in pieces of bacon into steamed peas. Make sure the bacon is cooked. You can also add bacon to the peas in the same skillet if you want the meat flavour to be more powerful.
Conclusion
Even though canned peas are pretty bland when it comes to flavour, there are super simple things you can do to give cooked peas an enticing flavour that the entire family will love. You can also use some of the easy tricks from this article to make peas for a party or get-together.