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What to Do with Overripe Peas – 10 Tasty Recipe Ideas

Overripe peas can be used in a number of ways. You can freeze them and use them later for a creamy side dish. You can also make a soup using overripe peas and a few other ingredients like garlic, onions, and carrots.

Overripe Peas Recipes

Peas are one of the easiest foods to grow at home. They’re loaded with nutrients, they have a high yield, and they’re extremely easy to grow.

You won’t have to shell out much money to buy them either.

See Also: 46 Best Recipes with Wonton Wrappers

They’re also incredibly versatile, and you can use them in all sorts of dishes. From salads to soups to side dishes to main courses, you can enjoy this legume every day of the week.

But there is one problem: overripe peas.

These peas are mushy and mealy, but that doesn’t mean they have to go to waste. In fact, these peas are loaded with fibre and antioxidants.

So if you have some leftover peas from last year’s harvest, don’t throw them out!

Here are 10 tasty ways to enjoy your overripe peas.

What to Do with Overripe Peas – 10 Recipe Ideas

Overripe peas can be turned into a delicious side dish by simply sautéing them with a bit of garlic and olive oil. This will add a nice flavor to the dish without adding too much extra work.

1. Add Them To Your Salad

Peas, like all vegetables, have an almost infinite number of uses. In fact, they can work with practically any dish, whether it’s salad or soup or stir fry or curry or pasta or… If you’ve run out of ideas for what to do with your overripe peas, why not try making a simple salad. Simply saute them with some garlic, pepper, and olive oil. You can add salt if you wish. Add chopped parsley, spinach or cilantro if you’d like, and toss it all together. If you’re feeling especially daring, add feta cheese or other cheese.

2. Pea Salsa

Peas are a vegetable that, like most other members of the legume family, has a short shelf life.

This means that you have to be pretty quick about how you handle them so that they don’t start to go bad.

A salsa made with peas is a delicious snack or a great side dish for a barbecue or barbeque.

You’ll need to soak your peas overnight in some cold water, then drain them and blend them with tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Add some lemon juice and pepper, and you’re done.

3. Make Pesto

If you’ve had your peas for a long time, you might find they’re no longer very tasty. Instead of throwing them out, think about making them into pesto. This recipe is a bit of a gamble since the taste of the pesto is influenced by the quality of the ingredients, but the results are worth it. Try using frozen peas instead of fresh ones as well to avoid spending too much time peeling them.

4. Pea Soup

Peas, like other members of the legume family, are wonderful when cooked. However, their freshness does matter and you can lose that in the process. Overripe peas have become mushy and are pretty much useless.

However, they can be salvaged if you’re willing to try some unconventional ways of cooking them. The first way is to chop them up and mix them into a soup. That way, they’ll cook with your other ingredients and get a little tenderness.

For a more filling and savory side dish, you could try boiling them and then slicing them in half and tossing them with butter and a touch of salt. This recipe is good for a side dish, but you could also make a main meal out of it with the addition of a few more ingredients.

5. Pea and Bacon Frittata

This recipe is great for those overripe green pea days, where you just want a simple and delicious way to start your day. It’s easy to make and can be whipped up in minutes. This makes use of the classic combination of bacon and peas in a dish.

You’ll need two medium-sized eggs, a dash of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. You’ll also need half a cup of overripe peas, a small handful of chopped onion, and a small handful of diced bacon.

This dish will make use of the pea’s watery consistency and flavor. The peas cook quickly, so if you’re looking to make this in advance, just throw it in the oven for about an hour or until the center is set. The end result should be a lovely frittata that’s got the flavor of bacon and peas. It can be served alongside toast or on its own.

6. Overripe Peas with Pasta

If you’ve always wanted to have the flavor of peas without the sliminess, you might consider making some pasta with them.

This recipe is a bit more involved than some of the other ideas we’ve discussed today, but if you’re looking to create a special dish, there’s no better way to do so than through cooking your overripe peas.

The main thing to remember is to not boil the peas first, as this will kill the flavor. You should boil them for about five minutes and then let them cool before blending them up.

7. Make a Pea and Cheese Stew

Peas are usually quite bland, which is why they’re often combined with other ingredients to make them more interesting. This recipe for overripe peas is a good way to make them a bit more special, as it involves a hearty cheese sauce, peas, and a simple topping made of butter and flour.

To make the stew, you’ll need to put your overripe peas in a pot with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a couple of garlic cloves, some salt, pepper, and a splash of white wine. Stir the mixture until the oil melts, add a bit more salt and pepper, and then cover and let simmer over low heat. When the peas are done, remove the lid and let the oil drain into the pan.

Add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until it melts into the peas. Then, return the lid back on the pan and let the contents continue to cook until the cheese has melted. Finally, add some chopped parsley and serve.

8. Bake Them

If you’ve been thinking about how to use up your overripe peas, consider baking them instead. The result will be an easy and filling side dish. All you have to do is put them in a baking dish with a bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil.

After that, cover the dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 10-20 minutes. When they’re done, take the dish out of the oven and let the peas cool down.

9. Make Pops

If you’d like to enjoy your overripe peas without heating them up too much, then you can make them into a dessert. The result is a simple popsicle recipe. To do this, you’ll need two cups of overripe peas, a few tablespoons of sugar, and two teaspoons of corn syrup.

After that, blend the ingredients in a food processor, pour them into a freezer-safe container, and freeze them until they’re ready to eat. This recipe is perfect for summer because it doesn’t require any special equipment or tools.

10. Add Them to Pizza

If you’re searching for a fast and easy pizza recipe, then you might want to give overripe peas a go. This method for making them is very simple: you take a piece of dough, spread some olive oil over the top, and sprinkle some salt and pepper on top of that.

After that, add the overripe peas and fold them into the dough to form the base of your pizza. You can bake the pizza for about 10 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit to get a nice crust and then serve it.

FAQ

Can you eat over-ripe peas?

It’s perfectly fine to eat over-ripe peas. You can do so either by boiling them in their own water or by steaming them.

Peas can be eaten at any stage of ripeness. You can even freeze them to extend their life. As long as they are in good shape, you can eat them.

However, you might not want to. When the peas are overripe, they have a strong flavor and a slimy texture.

How do I use old peas?

Peas are one of the most versatile vegetables you can add to a dish. They can be served raw or cooked, and are an inexpensive way to get lots of nutrients in your diet.

If you’re looking to use old peas, simply wash them well and remove the stem. Place them into a pressure cooker (see also these Cuisinart pressure cooker recipes) along with some water, and cook at high pressure for about 3 minutes.

How do you know when peas have gone bad?

Peas should be firm and dry. If you open a pod, it should be closed. If you smell it, it should smell fresh and not sour. 

Peas should be bright green and firm. They can change color as they age, but the flavor will still be fine. If you don’t think the peas are safe, you can freeze them for a few months, thaw them, and cook them.

Peas that are soft and mushy are a sign that they’re past their prime. You can tell if peas are in season by looking for them in your grocer’s freezer section, or you can opt to buy frozen ones.

What to do with overripe snow peas?

Overripe snow peas are often overlooked as a vegetable, but they’re really quite versatile. You can use them in stir-fries, salads, soups and even as a topping for rice or pasta. They also make a great snack on their own. Simply remove the stringy stems and rinse the snow peas, then add them to a salad or toss them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and serve them on a platter.

Conclusion

So, what to do with overripe peas?

If you’ve got a lot of peas that are past their prime, there are many delicious ways to use them up. Overripe peas can be added to soups or salads, used as a garnish for meat and fish dishes, or even served on top of pizza.

If you found this article interesting, check out our article on what to do with overripe pears in case you have some of those as well.

What to Do with Overripe Peas

What to Do with Overripe Peas – 10 Recipe Ideas

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Add Them To Your Salad
  • Pea Salsa
  • Make Pesto
  • Pea Soup
  • Pea and Bacon Frittata
  • Peas with Pasta
  • Make a Pea and Cheese Stew
  • Bake Them
  • Pea Pops
  • Add Them to Pizza

Instructions
 

  • Pick any of these recipes that you find interesting.
  • Prepare the ingredients according to the recipe.
  • Enjoy your meal in no time!
Keyword overripe pea recipes, What to Do with Overripe Peas
CEO at Happy Muncher | benjamin@happymuncher.com | Website | + posts

Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.

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