If you are from the south, chances are high you’ve encountered a few plates of purple hull peas over the years. My dad is as southern as they come. And I grew up picking, shelling, and eating purple hull peas on the regular. Today, I am sharing how to cook to purple hull peas in the way my mom has always cooked them. Specifically, this is a pinkeye purple hull peas recipe – with the peas coming straight from my parents’ garden!
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What Are Purple Hull Peas? What Are Pinkeyes?
Like black eye peas, purple hull peas are a member of the field peas, or cowpeas, family. More specifically, purple hull peas are a subspecies of cowpeas. And pinkeyes are a vining variant of purple hull peas.
How Are Purple Hull Peas Different from Black Eyed Peas?
Black-eyed peas are also a subspecies of cowpeas.Though they have similarities to black eyed peas, I find purple hull peas more tasty. Physically, purple hull peas are a little different in the “eye” area with purple hull peas having more of a pink rim around the eye. Also, the entire coloring of purple hull peas carries a green tint whereas black eyed peas have more of a tan/cream color.
I love Southern Living’s analogy of calling black-eyed peas the Red Delicious of apples – probably the most recognized of the field peas of but not necessarily the tastiest or most interesting of all the varieties.
Here in Arkansas, purple hull peas are definitely the more favored of the two pea cousins. We even have the Purple Hull Pea Festival in Emerson, Arkansas!
Where to Find Purple Hull Peas?
As you will see below, cooking purple hull peas is simple. The real work is in picking the peas from the purple hull pea patch or garden and then shelling the fresh peas – a task I did unhappily as a kid. Luckily, you can often find fresh shelled purple hull peas in southern states at local farmer’s markets. At the grocery store, you can sometimes find them in freezer sections. And you can sometimes find them in the canned good sections, as well. Of course, fresh is my favorite!
When picking cowpeas, it is best to pick them when the hulls are purple. Occasionally, my parents will pick the pinkeye purple hull peas from their garden while they are still mostly green – such as last week when they were expecting a record storm to come through their area (and it did). The photos I have in this post show the hulls green since I took photos of what they brought with them ahead of the flood.
My dad is our main pea sheller which is quite nice of him since it’s a job I despise! Occasionally, he talks my daughters into helping. At least they miss out on another unfavorable job – the picking! (Don’t let my take on things steer you wrong though. Some southerners love the tasks of picking and shelling!)
The Basic Ingredients You Need
- Fresh pinkeye purple hull peas
- Salt and Pepper
- Yellow onion
These are the basic three things you need – plus water for cooking the peas. If you have nothing else listed in my recipe card, you can still have southern purple hull peas with these three basic ingredients. Read on to see how to add a few other ingredients for extra flavor with optional ingredients.
Adding Ham or Bacon in Purple Hull Peas for Extra Flavor
Optionally, you can add ham hock or chopped bacon to purple hull peas. If you are going to add one of these meats, you need to add it on the front end so as to get the most of the flavor during the cooking process. In the past, I have also added some cooked pulled pork that I had in the freezer. Usually after every holiday with a ham, my mom stashes a ham hock in my freezer. I save it for my purple hulls.
Of course, there have been plenty of times I have made this pinkeye purple hull peas recipe with no meat at all. It isn’t necessary.
Other Ways to Add Flavor to Field Peas
Aside from adding ham hock or bacon, you can do any of the following.
- Add Creole or cajun seasoning
- Add spicy tomato bouillon or a milder chicken bouillon/broth to the cooking water
- Cook the peas with okra or other veggies to infuse flavor
If you don’t have any Slap Ya Mama Seasoning, you can use another Cajun or Creole seasoning like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. These two seasonings are used most in our home aside from basic garlic, cumin, and chili powders for Tex-Mex recipes. This two-pack Creole seasoning pack is a nice idea so you can have both of these favorites in your kitchen.
How to Cook Purple Hull Peas
If you are from the south, chances are someone in your family – if not you – already knows how to cook purple hull peas. Most of us southerners have grown up with purple hull peas rounding out our big family dinners. Many people blanche them and freeze them in the summer so they can enjoy purple hull peas in the winter months.
The cooking process is quite simple.
Basically, in a pot you will add the onion to a touch of butter and saute just a bit. If using chopped bacon, you can add it now as well. You aren’t going for caramelized onions here – just softened. The same with the bacon. The meat only needs to be cooked a bit. Next, add the raw peas with enough water to cover it by an inch or so. Next, add the seasonings that you are using and/or the bouillon. (If you are using a ham hock, you would add it here.)
Cook on medium for 90 minutes or so until peas seem softened. Now, if you are using frozen peas, you will not need as long of a cook time – only around an hour – since they have already been blanched prior to freezing. Occasionally, you will need to add a bit more water to the pot as the peas thicken and the water evaporates throughout the cooking process.
What to Serve with this Pinkeye Purple Hull Peas Recipe
Use this pinkeye purple hull peas recipe alongside your favorite southern pork chops or ham steak for a delicious southern meal! Or you might add grilled chicken, roasted chicken, hamburger steak, etc.
Southern Girl Tip: Plan to prepare this pinkeye purple hull pea recipe with cast iron skillet cornbread, greens, and whatever meat entree you are in the mood for. The cornbread is a must!
What to Do with Leftover Purple Hull Peas
We often heat up our leftover purple hull peas for a second meal – straight from the same pot with a bit more water added in. But we also have more interesting ways we eat our leftover purple hull peas like with my peas and tortellini sausage soup.
Simple Pinkeye Purple Hull Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ½ Onion diced
- 2 Garlic cloves
- ¼ cup Bacon (Optional) – chopped; or one ham hock
- 2 cups Purple hull peas fresh and shelled; or frozen
- 2 cups Water enough to cover peas by 1 inch or so
- 2 tsp Caldo de tomate bouillon or chicken bouillon *(Optional) – or replace 2 cups of water and bouillon with pre-made chicken broth
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (Optional)
Instructions
- Add butter, onions, and bacon (if using) to medium pot. Sautee for a couple minutes until onions are soft but not caramelized.
- Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. (If using a ham hock instead of bacon, add the ham now with the other ingredients.)
- Bring peas to boil and then turn down to simmer.
- Simmer fresh peas, covered with a slight open gap, for 90 minutes until peas are soft and tasty. (For frozen peas, you will cook, covered with the lid at a slight gap, for around 60 minutes.) You will need to add a bit water occasionally as water evaporates during the cooking process as peas thicken.
- Test the seasoning in the peas toward the end of cook time and add more seasoning, if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Side Dishes
Spicy Corn on the Cob Grilled in Foil
Elevated Jiffy Cornbread Muffins
Barbara
Thanks so much for thos article on purple hulled peas! I have a neighbor raving about them and I can’t wait to show him this article. He says they are the best. I can’t wait to find some now for myself.