Topic: Freezing mange touts and snap peas?

[goodlife]

I know you can buy them frozen in shops...but I've never frozen my own grown crop. Do they freeze ok or do they go bit 'funny' like runner beans sometimes can do?
After posting a pea photo on other post I started to fancy a bumper crop of peas this year...I have 'tons' of seeds to trial and grow' and rather than carry on hording more up it would be nice to make big growing attempt this year...BUT one can only eat so many when they are in season.
MMMM....fresh pea pods...'gulp'..

[Yorkshire Lass]

I have frozen mange tout successfully but not tried snap peas.  I always blanch for one minute and plunge into cold water before freezing although the modern trend seems to be not to blanch. If it's a tried a trusted method I stick to it!
YL

[galina]

The younger you pick them, the better they freeze.  Snap peas freeze well here. 

[Silverleaf]

In my very limited experience, if I blanched snow peas before they were frozen it was too easy to overcook them when I did the final cook.

I like my pea pods crunchy anyway, so that might be it.

[small]

In my experience the taste changes a bit after freezing, and not in a good way - I've settled on only using them fresh, but find it difficult to get any sort of succession going. But I much prefer eating them raw anyway!

[realfood]

Yes they will freeze but not as good as commercially, where they have special blast freeze. Blanche to stop enzymes breaking down the crop, cool with cold water, then into freezer bag with pods well spaced out to freeze as quickly as possible.

[Digeroo]

I just put my first ones in the ground, I am a bit late this year.  They are already chitted.   Normally start in February.  I will do another batch in about three to four weeks.  Then a few every three to four weeks until end of June.  By that time I am tired of them and move on to something else.  I tend to eat them raw straight from the plant.  Running out of plastic bottles had to tip some off the broadbeans.

For me frozen ones just do not have that fresh crunch.

[goodlife]

Thank you for all the replies, my suspicions have been answered....hm...I'm beginning to think that I probably new the answers for my questions without even asking. And that's why I haven't attempted to freeze any pea pods...
I admit, I like mine fresh, crispy and crunchy too...usually straight from the plants and for some reason not many actually end up on dinner table.. I blame the dog....

[artichoke]

Well, I am very fond of frozen mangetouts. Pour boiling water over them, drain before boiling, chill in cold water, and instantly into packets in the freezer. I am very pleased to come across them in mid-winter. I thaw them, pour boiling water over them and drain before they come back to the boil, and I find they still have a pleasing crunch and a lovely fresh flavour. If I am podding some "ordinary" peas, I add some of them as well - it is a good mixture. Adding a spare outer lettuce leaf to a pan of boiling water before adding the thawed peas gives a pleasant flavour, too.

I agree that runner beans are not worth freezing, and that if you have to, they are best used to bulk out a casserole of some sort. I like french beans frozen, though.