Peas are another no-effort batch. Frozen peas are blanched before they are bagged, so they go straight onto the tray. The result is a light, crunchy pea that kids eat like popcorn and that comes back to life in a pot of soup.
Fresh garden peas are just as good if you blanch them first, which stops the enzymes that turn peas starchy and dull.
Prep and loading
- Frozen peas: spread straight from the bag.
- Fresh peas: shell, blanch for 1½ minutes, chill in ice water, drain well.
- Spread about ½ inch deep.
- Snow peas and sugar snaps can be dried whole after a 1½ to 3 minute blanch, but take longer.
How to tell it’s done
- Peas crack when squeezed, with no soft middles.
Not sure? The weight check compares two weighings and the expected dry weight for peas.
Problems and fixes
Some peas split open
Normal; the skin cracks as water leaves. It does not affect quality.
Peas taste starchy
Older, larger peas. Pick fresh peas young, or use frozen.
Rehydrating and storing
Rehydrate: Hot water 5 minutes, or straight into soup. By weight, 100 g of dried peas takes back about 362 g of water to return to fresh weight; the rehydration calculator does any amount.
Store: Mylar or jar with an oxygen absorber.
Ways to use it
- Snacking
- Soups, fried rice and pot pies
- Backpacking meals
How much fits per batch
At a normal single layer, peas load at roughly 2.8 lb of fresh food per square foot of tray. That works out to:
| Machine | Fresh per batch | Dried per batch |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest Right Countertop 360 | 7.0 lb | 1.51 lb |
| Harvest Right Small | 8.4 lb | 1.83 lb |
| Harvest Right Medium | 13.1 lb | 2.84 lb |
| Harvest Right Large | 21.5 lb | 4.66 lb |
| Harvest Right X-Large | 43.8 lb | 9.48 lb |
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: peas, green, raw (water content)
- Utah State University Extension: Can I Freeze-Dry That? (2026)
- Penn State Extension: Let’s Preserve: Freeze-Drying
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: freezing (blanching times)
- Iowa State University Extension AnswerLine: Preserving by home freeze drying
Water content rounded from USDA FoodData Central (peas, green, raw). Cycle times are typical ranges at default settings; thickness, load and your room change them. How we put these together.