Southern Purple Hull Peas

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5 from 78 votes

Perfectly seasoned Southern Purple Hull Peas recipe! Simple ingredients, fabulous flavor!

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time2 5

Course: Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern

Servings: cups

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Ingredients

1½ lbs. purple hull peas shelled and hulled
7 cups chicken broth , or water
1 smoked ham hock, or 2-3 slices of bacon (optional: see recipe notes)
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Rinse and drain fresh or frozen peas
1½ lbs. purple hull peas
If using bacon, cook bacon in large stockpot
1 smoked ham hock, or 2-3 slices of bacon
Add peas and water or broth to the stockpot with the bacon and grease; add enough liquid to cover peas
7 cups chicken broth
If using ham hock, add it to the pot now; add garlic and onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Bring to boil for 10 minutes; if a foam appears, either scrape it off or leave it; (it will dissolve)
Cover, reduce heat to low; allow to cook for 1½-2 hours
Once tender, season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes;
If you want to add okra, do it now: bring the pot back up to a rolling boil, add okra, allow to boil for 2-5 minutes: cover and allow to rest for 15 min
salt & pepper to taste
Serve with cornbread and sliced tomatoes

Notes

Rinse first
You can substitute chicken or vegetable broth for water
Store fresh and frozen cooked peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
If you want to freeze cooked peas, use a freezer-storage container and store them up to six months.

Freezing Fresh, Uncooked Peas

If you buy fresh shelled, you'll want to freeze them, you'll need to blanch them first.

Rinse shelled peas and bring a pot of water to boil
Blanch peas in water for 2 minutes then place them in a bowl of ice cold water until they are no longer warm
Drain and dry; place in airtight plastic bags; don't fill the bag all the way up; leave about 2 inches of space
Reduce air in bag, zip the bag, label the package with the date, and place in the freezer
Store up to 6 months

Variations for Cooking and Seasoning Southern Peas

Vegetarian/Vegan: use vegetable broth or water, add a few splashes of Liquid Smoke® as a substitute for the meat flavor
Add Fresh or Frozen Okra:
- Okra and Southern Peas go great together and many cooks add okra
- Bring the cooked peas back to a boil
- Add whole or chopped, fresh or frozen okra
- Allow to boil 2-5 minutes until okra is tender
- NOTE: okra is a thickening agent; after adding the okra, you might want to add more liquid
Hoppin' John:

Most Southerners serve Hoppin' John on New Year's Eve for Good Luck. It typically consists of black eyed peas, rice, bacon, chopped onion and bell peppers. Substitute purple hull or pink eye purple hulls for the black eyed.

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