Most types of food can be preserved via the canning method
If you're tired of throwing away foods like black-eyed peas because they spoil, you'll be happy to learn you can preserve them instead. There are two ways you can do this: canning, which involves keeping food sealed from spoiling properties found naturally in air, and freeze drying, where foods are sealed to keep them from reabsorbing moisture. Canning can be a more popular form of preserving foods because you can use glass jars, making the item visually appealing. You'll want to start with dried peas that are fresh. Toss any that are diseased, soft or marked up. Roughly five pounds of beans will fill seven quart jars; or 3.75 pounds is needed for each canner holding nine pints, which averages to around three-quarters of a pound per quart.
Instructions
Preserve Black Eyed Peas by Canning
1. Boil a large pot of water, which will be used to pour into the jars you've already packed . A good tip is to boil more water than you may need so you have plenty on hand should you need it later in the process.
2. Fill your pressure canner with four inches of hot tap water (or follow whatever instructions are given for your particular model). Then place it on the stove on low heat, without the lid in order to get it warmed up for later.
3. Rinse the in plain cold or lukewarm water, then let them soak, covered, in a large pot for 12 to 18 hours. For a quicker method of hydrating the peas, cover them with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil two minutes before removing from the heat and then soak for one hour and drain. Toss the water.
4. Now you can fill the jars with the peas. Pack them evenly, ensuring an inch of space remains at the top of the jar. Using the water you cooked the beans in, fill that space (also known as the "headspace").
5. Place the lids on the jars, sealing them by putting a ring on and screwing it down tightly. Then using your jar tongs, place them in the canners, which by now are boiling, and let them vent for 10 minutes. Then, close all openings to allow for pressurizing for anywhere from 75 to 90 minutes.
Tags: dried peas, with peas