If you’re preparing several meals to eat on different days, a 1 kg bag of frozen peas lets you take out the amount you need each time, provided you have enough freezer space. A tin with around 560 g net drained weight is a good choice if you plan to use all its contents soon. Multipacks of small tins, meanwhile, let you keep unopened portions for later. In every case, check the amount you can actually use and the storage instructions for the product you choose.
If you make different recipes over several days, a frozen bag lets you take out peas as you need them without opening a whole tin. Auchan and Notre Jardin offer 1 kg bags of frozen peas; follow the storage instructions on the pack.
A large tin can be used in several dishes prepared together. Bonduelle’s 800 g gross weight tin contains 560 g net drained weight and lists four 140 g portions. The drained weight is what helps you divide up the contents.
To find a product that suits your recipes, compare its ingredients list, nutritional information and stated country of origin. These details can vary between tinned and frozen peas, and between products from the same brand.
Choose this: if your recipes call for different amounts on different days.
Bear in mind: you’ll need freezer space and should follow the preparation and storage instructions.
Choose this: if you’ll use ready-cooked peas in several dishes prepared together.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to use the contents within the stated time after opening, which varies by product.
Choose this: if your meals need small amounts on different days.
Bear in mind: you’ll have several packs to store and should compare the net drained weight of each tin.
| What to consider | What to check | What matters to shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Taking out portions as needed | How much you need for each cooking session and how much freezer space you have. | If I’m cooking on different days, I want to take only the peas I need for each recipe. Around 33% of shoppers rank this flexibility as their top priority. |
| Quick preparation | Whether the product is already cooked or needs preparing according to the pack instructions. | When I’m putting several dishes together on the same day, I prefer an ingredient that’s already cooked. For around 27% of shoppers, quick preparation comes before other considerations. |
| Usable quantity | The net drained weight of a tin and how long it can be kept after opening. | I prefer to open an amount that my planned meals can use up, without leaving leftovers. Getting the quantity right is the main priority for around 20% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients | Ingredients list, salt per 100 g and stated origin on the product. | If I use peas in several recipes, I want to know exactly what’s in the product I’ve chosen. Around 20% of shoppers prioritise checking this information. |
The gross weight includes the covering liquid: the 800 g Bonduelle tin mentioned above contains 560 g net drained weight.
Use the net drained weight to divide the peas between your recipes.
Storage times change once a tin has been opened. For its 560 g net drained weight product, Bonduelle advises keeping it at no more than 4 °C and using it within 48 hours. This time limit doesn’t apply to every tin.
Plan how you’ll use the remaining contents before opening the tin, and follow the instructions on its label.
Any contents not used within the stated time may go to waste.
A tin and a bag of frozen peas, or two products from the same brand, may have different ingredients lists and salt levels.
Compare the ingredients list and salt per 100 g on the packaging of the products you’re considering.
Defrosting changes how the product needs to be stored.
Take out the amount you need before defrosting, follow the pack instructions and don’t refreeze a defrosted product.
Bonduelle’s ‘tender and soft peas’ product contains 560 g net drained weight and lists four 140 g portions.
Carrefour offers, among other products, tins of peas with 280 g and 560 g net drained weight, as well as a pack of 3 × 140 g tins.
Auchan offers a 1 kg bag of extra-fine frozen peas, listed as five portions, as well as tins and packs of 3 × 140 g.
E.Leclerc offers extra-fine frozen peas in a 1 kg bag under this brand, as well as a 560 g tin.
This peas and carrots mix could work for batch cooking if your meals include both vegetables. If your recipe calls for peas only, bear the mix’s ingredients in mind and check how much you can use.
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Worth considering if your prepared dishes combine peas and carrots: this is a 530 g mix, not a tin of peas on their own. To divide the peas accurately between your recipes, check their proportion and the net drained weight on the product. Also follow its storage instructions after opening.
Work out the quantities using the net drained weight and the amounts your recipes need. The 800 g gross weight Bonduelle tin contains 560 g net drained weight and lists four 140 g portions. This portion count is specific to this product.
Choose the bag if you want to take out different amounts for meals on different days and have a freezer. A tin is better suited to meals you’re preparing around the same time, when you want ready-cooked peas. Once opened, follow the stated storage time.
Follow the storage conditions and time limit shown on the tin you’ve bought. For the Bonduelle product with 560 g net drained weight featured here, the brand advises a maximum of 48 hours at no more than 4 °C. The DGCCRF reminds shoppers to follow the after-opening storage instructions on the label.
The Ministry of Agriculture recommends putting cooked meals in the fridge no later than two hours after preparation. When preparing meals in batches, plan how you’ll cool and store them so they aren’t left at room temperature for any longer.