What Is the Different Between Canned and Frozen Peas?

What do you reach for when you can’t purchase fresh veggies or just don’t want to deal with the trouble of washing, pruning, and preparing all of that produce? Of course, canned or frozen veggies!

Green peas are one of the most popular foods available in either of these forms, but deciding which to add into your shopping basket isn’t always easy. You may be wondering whether canned peas are healthful, if frozen peas are safe to consume uncooked, and if canned peas are processed. These are valid questions, yet the answers aren’t usually stated out on the package by manufacturers who are desperate to encourage you to buy their product!

But don’t worry, we’ll address all of those questions and more as we go through the distinctions between canned peas, frozen peas, and how they compare to fresh peas and one another.

Similarities Between Canned Peas and Frozen Peas

Let us begin with the commonalities so that we may better comprehend where these two varieties of peas depart from one another.

Whether canned or frozen, each of these processing techniques serve the same goal: extending the life of a fresh green pea.

In most situations, canned and frozen green peas are prepared from the same species of English peas, Pisum Sativum. This starchy vegetable type has peas that do not grow in edible pods, therefore each can or bag of peas contains individual peas (the seeds!) rather than pods.

Main Differences Between Canned Peas and Frozen Peas

As you’re about to discover, there are much more differences than similarities between canned and frozen peas. Anybody who has ever experienced the difference between frozen and canned vegetables would agree!

Everything from flavor and look to nutrition and cooking methods is covered here.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: What Types of Peas Are Used?

As previously stated, canned pea cans and frozen pea bags are often packed with the same variety of peas known as English peas, shelling peas, or garden peas. Depending on their intended purpose, these little green globes are always removed from their pods and either frozen or canned.

Canned pea variants are nearly generally prepared from this variety of pea, while some other canned pea varieties may be obtained from farms or small batch manufacturers, and frozen peas may sometimes appear in other varieties. Other forms of green peas, such as frozen sugar snap and frozen snow peas, are available on the freezer aisle.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: How Are They Processed?

Blanching is the process of blanching fresh peas that are prepared for canning after harvest. This procedure cleans the peas, kills some of the naturally present germs and organisms, and destroys the innate enzymes that cause fresh food to degrade over time.

or a pinch of salt. The cans are then sealed and sent to a sterilizer, which heats the cans and their contents to a temperature high enough to destroy all germs. The suction effect within canned vegetables is caused by the heating and chilling process. Following blanching, the peas are washed and packed into cans with a hot brine solution that may or may not include sugar and salt.

Frozen peas are processed in the same way as canned vegetables, up to a point. Frozen peas begin their own journey after being blanched and cleaned. After blanching, the peas are transferred to a super-freezer and stacked in a single layer before being placed inside. Individually fast frozen (IQF) veggies and fruits are frozen vegetables and fruits that have gone through this sort of freezing method.

The advantage of flash freezing vegetables is that they stay separate from one another permanently, as opposed to freezing together in one huge clump. Customers may effortlessly measure out a cupful or a few servings of frozen peas without having to get out the ice pick. After freezing, the peas are bagged and sealed in freezer-proof plastic bags.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: How Do They Look?

The reality is that you will almost never confuse a canned pea with a frozen pea since they appear so unlike. Since canned peas are cooked for a long period within their cans, they have a recognizable processed hue that ranges from olive green to yellow-green. When canned peas are preserved in liquid, they are smoother and wrinkle-free.

Frozen peas, on the other hand, are often brilliant green, and in some circumstances have an even brighter green hue than fresh counterparts owing to the blanching procedure in their manufacturing. Blanching vegetables always works to lock in their coloration by killing the enzymes that contribute to color loss over time, and it also serves to enhance a vegetable’s natural color by removing extra air, making the produce more compact.

Since the frozen vegetables are not cooked again after blanching, they keep their green color all the way until you open the bag to start creating supper!

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: How Do They Taste?

There’s no getting past the reality that canned peas, like other canned vegetables, have a tinned flavor. Its taste was dull or metallic at times, and pleasantly nutty and excellent at others, as we discovered during the research portion of our Best Canned Peas: Tasted and Reviewed post.

or sugar added. Canned peas are always going to be softer than fresh or frozen peas, but certain types are better than others at keeping their outer shell intact, giving them a good bite. Certain kinds may also be salty or sweet depending on the extra ingredients, and many canned peas may have a fair amount of salt and sugar.

Fresh peas, on the other hand, taste considerably better when frozen. Because of reduced heat exposure during processing, most frozen veggies keep their natural tastes better than canned equivalents. The texture of frozen peas becomes more distinct as a result, with a visible distinction between the outer skin and the creamy inside of the pea itself.

Moreover, the texture of frozen veggies is constantly at danger of being affected by the freezing process in ways that canned or fresh vegetables are not. Freezer burn may cause frozen peas to become extremely tough. Despite this, you can be certain that a bag of frozen peas will be as near to the fresh stuff as you can get! Check for yourself in our post Finest Frozen Peas: Tasted and Tested.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: Are They Nutritious?

Whether you choose canned or frozen vegetables, both are excellent sources of nutrients and fiber. These are nutrients that our bodies need and that plants, luckily, provide in plenty! There is, however, a significant variation in nutritional density between canned and frozen veggies.

Peas from a can are typically thought to be less healthy than frozen peas since they are more intensively processed. Heat destroys some of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants contained in fresh vegetables. Since so much heat is needed to keep canned vegetables shelf stable, some of these nutrients are sadly collateral damage.

Since frozen vegetables are just quickly blanched before being flash frozen, they are healthful in a manner that canned vegetables can only hope to be! As compared to canned equivalents, their nutritional density is superior, and you can tell by their vibrant coloration that many of their pigment molecules stay intact. We’ve all heard the expression “taste the rainbow!” as it pertains to include a variety of colored fruits and veggies in our meals, and frozen peas may assist you in doing so!

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: How Do You Cook Them?

Many people wonder if canned peas are cooked. As you can see from our canned peas processing details, the answer is yes! This indicates that you can, in fact, consume canned peas directly from the can. Yet, most people prefer to utilize canned peas in a dish rather than eating them raw or heating and seasoning them to make them more palatable.

Frozen peas, on the other hand, are not cooked (apart from a quick blanching) and should not be eaten directly from the bag. As a result, you must always completely prepare frozen veggies, which makes them much more pleasurable in any case! Further cooking instructions for peas may be found at: How to Cook Peas.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: How Long Do They Last?

Despite the fact that canned peas do not win all of their fights, they do have the highest life expectancy. Canned peas have an incredible capacity to keep at room temperature for many years. You may easily consider a can of peas to be of good quality for up to 5 years, but they should be safe to consume for much longer if the can and its seal remain intact.

Of course, frozen peas and other frozen vegetables are significantly more in demand than canned or fresh vegetables. Not only do they need to be kept frozen until you are ready to cook and consume them, but even with appropriate storage, they are likely to degrade in quality after a certain point. No matter how well your frozen peas are wrapped, freezer burn will occur when the moisture within the veggies evaporates in the form of ice crystals. This dries up the delicate tissues of the veggies, giving frozen peas an unpleasant flavor, texture, and appearance.

Canned vs. Frozen Peas: Are There Any Food Safety Issues?

Regrettably, there are certain food safety concerns with either canned or frozen peas. There is no way around it!

The concept of canned food creating a danger of food illness is perplexing. After all, the heat treatment and precise can-sealing procedure are designed to kill any microorganisms, right? That is correct, but the most serious danger linked with canned veggies, or any canned foodcanned beans, fruits, jams, syrups, pickles, you name it—is botulism. This is because botulism is caused by an anaerobic bacteria, which flourishes in the absence of oxygen. When food is incorrectly packed, a disease may be present and then live and flourish in the environment contained inside the sealed container.

Fortunately, there are unmistakable symptoms of this destiny in canned veggies, as the can begins to bloat, bulge, or even leak. Also, there will be a foul odor or sight when the container is opened. Bottom line: Botulism in professionally packed canned vegetables is exceedingly uncommon and will show evident indicators if and when it does occur.

They do not have to worry about botulism since frozen meals are not sealed in oxygen-free packaging. That’s fantastic! But, they must be concerned about other infections, since most bacteria that cause foodborne diseases thrive in the presence of oxygen.

Although fresh vegetables are unlikely to have pollutants that might cause sickness, contaminants may be added along their trip at frozen vegetable processing plants. The bacteria Listeria and Norovirus are two of the most probable causes. Fortunately, heat may easily eradicate these germs. This is why it is critical to constantly cook frozen veggies to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Canned Peas vs. Frozen Peas: The Bottom Line

The truth is that there are several distinctions between frozen and canned vegetables, and peas are no exception! From the varieties of peas accessible in each preparation technique, to flavor and appearance, to nutrition and food safety concerns, it is evident that canned peas and frozen peas are not two peas in a pod.

Despite their differences, each of these pea dishes have a place in your kitchen. Frozen peas are preferable in terms of flavor and nutrition, but they need temperature-controlled storage and have a rather short shelf life. Canned peas, on the other hand, may not taste as fresh as frozen peas, but they are a dependable supply of vegetable goodness that you can rely on to be safe and keep quality for years to come!

Still unsure which path to take? If all else fails, get one of each and compare them for yourself. After all, it’s all about what works for you!