How and how much to cook peas? How and how much to cook peas
It is recommended to soak the peas in water for several hours before boiling. On average, this process takes 6-10 hours. An important nuance in this case is pouring the peas with only cold water and placing the workpiece away from the gas stove or other sources of potential heat. If you overexpose peas in water, they can begin to ferment.
The process of boiling peas in a regular saucepan:
- before boiling, the peas must be thoroughly washed several times and, if necessary, sorted out;
- in a saucepan, peas are poured with liquid in a ratio of 1: 4 (there should be four times more water);
- if you pour the peas with cold water and put on the fire, then the cooking time will be longer (to speed up this process, it is better to put the peas in boiling water);
- butter or vegetable oil will soften the peas and speed up the cooking process a little (add one of the indicated ingredients);
- in the process of boiling peas, foam may form (this is not a deviation, but it is better to remove the foam with a slotted spoon or spoon);
- peas are cooked over low or medium heat, and the container is covered with a lid;
- if water boils away during cooking, then it must be topped up;
- boiling peas in salt water is not recommended (salt can make the kernels harder even though they are cooked);
- you can check the readiness of peas by taste and by changing the structure of the kernels.
Salt the peas at the end of cooking. You can avoid soaking with baking soda, adding ¼ part of a teaspoon at the time of boiling. You can cook peas without preliminary soaking, but the cooking time in this case can increase significantly. It is better to use this method only if absolutely necessary, and in the presence of diseases of the digestive system, it should be abandoned.
The cooking time and preparation process for peas may differ depending on the planned dish. If the ingredient is being prepared for porridge, then before cooking it can be chopped in a blender and only then cooked. To make the peas softer, they can be boiled down by increasing the cooking time.
The nuances of cooking peas in a pressure cooker:
- before cooking peas in a pressure cooker, you can soak them for just two hours;
- boil peas in this way for 20 minutes, and then leave it to languish for some more time.
The nuances of cooking peas in a slow cooker:
- peas are also soaked for 1,5-2 hours before cooking in a multicooker;
- peas are cooked in a multicooker in the “Stew” mode with a timer set for 1,5 hours;
- you can cook peas in a slow cooker in the “Soup” mode in one hour.
It is not recommended to reduce or increase the fire during the cooking of peas. If the temperature is the same throughout the entire cooking process, the kernels will boil better and their aroma will be more intense.
You can also cook fresh peas. It is recommended to put it in boiling water or 10 minutes before the main course is ready. On average, such peas are cooked for no more than 15 minutes, depending on the size of the kernels and their degree of ripeness. It is better to cook young peas for no more than 10 minutes. After boiling, it is recommended to rinse the kernels with cold water so that they do not lose their shape.
For some dishes, green peas are used in the form of boiled pods. In this case, the ingredient must first be soaked in water for one hour, and then cooked for several minutes. You can tell about readiness by the softness of the pods and a slight change in their shade.
How much to cook peas
The average cooking time for peas is 45-60 minutes. If the peas are whole, then they can reach readiness within 1,5 hours, and the separated kernels are boiled faster. The pea variety and the degree of its dryness play an essential role. Shelf life
Cooking time for peas in different ways:
- a regular saucepan (1,5 or 2 hours);
- slow cooker (1,5 hours);
- pressure cooker (20 minutes and the subsequent languor will add 10 minutes).
These figures refer to whole peas and are average. If the kernels are too dry and old, then the cooking time may increase, and the crushed or split peas are cooked 15 minutes earlier in each of these cases.