Never cook peas like this: why the product often turns out to be hard and tasteless

Many people have trouble cooking regular peas. The product has a very dense and hard texture. Therefore, in order for it to become soft and at the same time remain intact, you need to know a few important nuances.

The FoodOboz editorial team will tell you about the most common mistakes made when cooking peas. To make the product taste really good, you need to follow a few rules.

Old peas use 

To ensure that the peas are well cooked and remain intact, it is important to choose a fresh product. The longer the peas are stored, the harder it is to boil them until they are soft.

Incorrect soaking

One of the main steps in preparing peas for cooking is soaking. A mistake in this process can lead to the peas turning sour or losing their shape during cooking.

Incorrect water temperature

Soak peas in cool water with a temperature not exceeding +15 degrees. If you use warm water, the peas will start to turn sour in a few hours. Sour peas may have a soapy taste and this is not always noticeable visually.Soaking in warm water. This significantly increases the risk of peas spoiling. The best way is to soak in cold water for 5-6 hours.Insufficient cooking time or too high a heat. Soaked peas are cooked for about 1.5 hours over low heat so that they soften evenly and do not boil too much.

Incorrect addition of water during cooking

When you need to add water, it is important to use boiling water, not cold water. Adding cold water can disrupt the cooking process and make the peas harder.

Cooking peas without pre-salting if you need whole peas

If you need the peas to retain their shape for a dish, it is best to add a little salt after soaking and leave them for another 30 minutes, then drain. This helps to keep the shape during cooking.

Tips for the perfect cooking of peas

For soups: If you plan to use peas in soups, you do not need to soak them, as they will cook anyway. For dishes with whole peas: soak in cold water, then add a little salt before cooking.