Black eyed peas?? What do I do w/ them?

[KarenAylwood]

No, not the group.

A friend from work gave me a huge amount of black eyed peas and I have no idea what to do with them. I've got about a full plastic shopping bag's worth and only me and DBF to eat them! I found a good recipe for them although I'll probably need more than one to get rid of all of these.

Every recipe talks about using canned or dried peas. What do I do with fresh, right out of the pod peas?? He told me to boil them for about an hour, but I don't know how to know if they're done.

Any advice? Recipes? Help??

 

[87Heel]

We grow them in our garden (not this year, but we have other summers). DH likes them (I don't), and just boils them with salt and pepper. You can freeze them, too, and have them some other day. Sorry I can't help with other recipes, but at least you know that they freeze well so you don't have to eat them all right now!

 

[TXTink]

I get at least a bushel of them every year and cook them off for the winter. I don't have a recipe, but here is what I do...

I cook bacon in a pot large enough to hold all of the peas. When the bacon is cooked I remove it from the pan (my mom leaves hers in the pot, but I don't like to eat it after it has been boiled ). Add the peas to the pot with the bacon grease and add enough water to cover. Add salt and a touch of sugar, then boil until done. Then I let them cool to room temperature. I spoon them into zip-lock freezer bags in single family sized meal portions and freeze. Then in the winter, you can take out a bag of peas, thaw and warm, and have summer veggies in the winter! Yum!

I love them, especially with corn bread! (I am from the south ya' know!!)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would probably make some bean soup out of them. Not sure how it would turn out but I like bean soup.

Ham shanks, can of tomato sauce, shaved carrots, little celery, onion, and water.

I bought some dried mixed beans last week....now I am on the hunt for ham shanks.

 

[CheshireVal]

I used to just mix them with buttered rice-- a very satisfying meal! I like the taste of black eyed peas by themselves, but some people will throw a ham bone or hock in during cooking for flavor.

I hardly ever eat black eyed peas anymore because my husband doesn't like them.

 

[pozey]

Put them in a pot of water with some salt and pepper. Add some ham if you have some. Boil for about 2 minutes. Then turn down the heat and let them simmer for an hour to an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, make some cornbread. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one.

While the black eyed peas are simmering, peal some potatoes and cut them up. Put them in another cast iron skillet with some butter, salt and pepper and make fried potatoes.

Black eyed peas, cornbread, and fried potatoes. The South was raised on it.

 

[Keli]

A local restaurant toasts them in the oven until they are a little crunchy and then sprinkles them over their salads. It is really good.

 

[ilovepcot]

The recipes that use bacon or ham will give you great tasting peas.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Turn them up and dance

 

[KarenAylwood]

Thanks guys!! I knew there would be some southerners on here to help me out!!

I'm going to make up one batch for a few meals this week and freeze the rest for later. I never thought about freezing them!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Be sure to get a package out of the freezer and fix it on January 1st. It's good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

Here's a recipe my family loves. We have hoppin' John several times a year.

Hoppin' John

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large ham hock or cubed ham or cooked bacon
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 quart chicken stock
Bay leaf
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
Salt, black pepper, and cayenne
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
3 cups steamed white rice

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock. Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.

I personally prefer bacon to the ham, but both are good. Sometimes I add tomatoes at the end. Serve with cornbread. Mmmm. Good stuff!

 

[momoftwins]

Now this is real south, my mom also use to make thin sliced panfried, crispy "fatback" to go with the fried potatoes, cornbread, and black-eyed peas. To non southerners, that's fried crispy salt pork.

Although you could not pay me to eat fat on meat, yummy on fried fatback and the trimmins.