How to store peas

When the peas are ripe, they need to be picked. How to better store them after harvesting? Here are some methods of storing peas:

1. Storage characteristics

Peas are small and spherical, with a dense seed pile and a seed coat that is not as thick as that of broad beans.

A problem that occurs with peas in storage is damage by pea weevils.

The pea weevil lays eggs on young pea pods during the flowering and pod-forming period. The larvae hatch and invade the peas, develop inside the peas, pupate, and are brought into the warehouse with the pea harvest. Finally, they emerge as adults and hibernate in the gaps between the warehouse eaves and tiles. When the peas bloom the following year, they fly to the fields to mate and lay eggs.

2. Technical points of storage

The key to pea storage is to prevent the harm of pea weevils, and the method of enclosing peas in a closed storage is often used. The specific steps are: after the peas are harvested, they are dried on a sunny day to reduce the moisture content to below 14%; when the seed temperature is quite high, they are enclosed in a hot silo to continue to rise to above 50°C during the closed period (if not reached, the insecticidal effect is unreliable). Before entering the warehouse, a layer of disinfected rice bran is spread on the bottom of the warehouse in advance and compacted. The thickness must be more than 30 cm. A layer of mat is placed on the silo surface, and a round silo is made on the mat with holes, the size of which depends on the number of peas. Then pour the dried peas into the silo, and then make a silo outside the silo. The distance between the inner and outer silo circles should be more than 30 cm. Fill the gap between the two silos with rice bran, and finally cover the silo surface with a layer of mat, and spread a layer of rice bran on the mat, compact, and the thickness must be more than 30 cm. In this way, the peas are surrounded by 30 cm thick bran on the top, bottom and all sides. The sealing time is generally 30-50 days, which is controlled as the seed temperature rises. Within 10 days after the peas are sealed, the seed temperature must be checked every day, and the insect and mildew situation must be checked every 1 day. After 10 days, it can be checked every 3-5 days. The germination rate of peas must be measured before and after sealing.

To eliminate pea weevils, you can use the boiling water method, that is, boil water in a large pot, pour peas with a moisture content within the safety standard into a bamboo basket, immerse them in the boiling water, and stir them quickly with a stick. After 25 seconds, immediately take out the bamboo basket and put it in cold water to cool it down, then spread it on a mat to dry and store it. When handling, you must strictly control the boiling water temperature, and the blanching time should not be too long or too short. The boiling water must immerse all the peas, and stir them constantly during blanching.