Preparation

• 1). Select your peas. Choose ones that are fresh and crisp, and remove any that are soft, diseased or damaged. You can get them from your own garden or purchase them from farms or even grocery stores.
  
  
• 2). Clean the jars. You can do this by putting them in the dishwasher, especially if there's a "sanitize" option. If a dishwasher is not available to you, you can place the jars in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
  
  
• 3). Boil water. Place clean water in the largest pot you have available and get it to a steady boil. You will use this water to pour over the peas once they are in the jars.
  
  
• 4). Rinse your pressure canner and put the rack plate in the bottom.
  
  
• 5). Fill the canner with hot tap water until it reaches about 4 inches from the bottom. Some canners may give you different instructions; follow the instructions for your individual canner.
  
  
• 6). Place the canner on the stove over low heat with the lid off.
  
  
• 7). Hull the peas. You can do this by pressing your thumb into the seam while lightly squeezing the pod.
  
  

Canning

• 1). Pack the peas pretty tightly into the jars. Ensure that there is one inch of empty space at the top of the jar.
  
  
• 2). Use a ladle or measuring cup to fill each packaged jar with the boiling water. You should cover the peas, but the one inch space at the top should remain open.
  
  
• 3). Put the lids on each jar. Put a ring on and screw down snugly to seal them.
  
  
• 4). Put the jars on the rack in the canner. You should have about 3 inches of water. If there is less water than that, you need to add more hot tap water.
  
  
• 5). Put on the canner lid and twist it into place once the rack is full. Depending on the type of canner you have, you need to either leave the weight off or keep the valve open.
  
  
• 6). Place the heat on high and let the canner steam for 10 minutes. Doing this is what purges the air space out of the jars.
  
  
• 7). Put the weight on and close any opening to allow the pressure to build. You are aiming for 10 lbs. of pressure.
  
  
• 8). Once the gauge on the canner hits 10 lbs., set your timer for 25 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this 10-lb. pressure.
  
  
• 9). Turn off the heat and let the canner cool.
  
  
• 10
  
  Let the gauge drop to zero pounds of pressure. Wait three minutes, then remove the weight or open the vent. Allow all the steam to escape.
  
  
• 11
  
  Remove the jars from the water. Allow them to cool on a towel or cutting board. Assure that they are in a draft-free place where they will not be bumped.
  
  
• 12
  
  Remove the rings now, if you prefer.
  
  
• 13
  
  Verify the lids are sucked down once they are cool. If you press your finger in the center, the lid should not pop up and down. If it does, you must refrigerate it right away for the peas to be usable.