How to Cook Frozen Peas

I love frozen peas and they’re the easiest frozen vegetable to cook, yet many people get it so wrong!

There’s no need at all to boil a saucepan of water, add the peas, then wait for them to start boiling again and boil them for (probably too many) minutes!  No, that’s entirely wrong 🙂

Cooked like this, you can add peas to your meal at the last minute – whether that’s because you realise you need a little more food on the plate, or an unexpected extra person appeared at dinner time.  You don’t need to stand over a pan of water waiting for it to boil, then add the peas and wait … while everybody else stares at you forlornly, waiting to be fed.

Best Way to Cook Perfect Peas:

1. Simply tip the peas into a microwavable mug (for 1-2 people) or a microwave safe bowl (for larger portions)
2. Fill the dish with boiling water.  Stir the peas and walk away.
3. Some minutes later, drain the water and refill with boiling water again.
4. When you’re ready to serve the peas, drain the water and microwave on full power for about 20-30 seconds.  

If you’re wanting to use frozen peas in stews, or put frozen peas in a slow cooker dinner, then you can either defrost the peas and add them 30 minutes before your food’s finished cooking, or simply follow the instructions above and add the peas at the last minute.

By cooking frozen peas like this they retain their goodness, colour and firmness.

Cook Peas in the Microwave

If you’ve not got a kettle, then you can cook the peas in the microwave simply by covering them with water and microwaving them for longer.  The first 2 minutes will get the water up to boiling point, then 1-2 minutes after that to cook them.

It’s better to have the peas spread over a wider dish rather than a deep one, as this enables the water to heat up more quickly.