You should process fresh peas right away; they deteriorate rapidly after picking. I like to put up the cream in half-pint freeze jars or 1-cup capacity freezer-safe plastic containers. Don’t overpack the jars or containers; leave some headroom because the cream expands during freezing. If you don’t, and your container lids bulge open, then your cream could get freezer burn. For best results, freeze at zero degrees Fahrenheit. If your freezer is warmer (I use the blueberry test: if my frozen blueberries are not rock solid, I know I’m not at zero), the cream won’t hold as nicely. Just use it sooner. Makes 3 cups.
Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
4 cups fresh, shelled garden peas
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a boil over medium heat and add the peas. Turn the heat down, and cook the peas gently until tender, about 15 minutes for large peas (smaller ones cook quicker). Drain and save the stock.
Place the peas in a food processor with 1 cup of the reserved stock, the garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process to a smooth puree. At this point, taste the cream and adapt it to your taste. If you like lemon juice, add more. Missing that garlic heat? Add it. Not creamy enough (which can happen if the peas are not cooked enough or if they are starchy)? Add more stock. Place the puree in one-cup containers or half-pint freezer jars. Chill in the fridge and then freeze.
