I'm from deep in the low country of South Carolina. Where I'm from we would never, ever use black eyed peas for Hoppin'Johns! We used a small, red pea commonly referred to as Field Peas; very different texture and flavor. More flavor and fiber, less starchy. In fact, my momma never cooked black eyed peas!
On my daddy's farm these peas grew wild among the other crops. Apparently this was the case for hundreds of years.
This year, having moved to NC from PA, I decided to grow Iron and Clay, an old SC heirloom. It sprawled, climbed the neighboring okra and finally starting blooming and produced a late summer crop.
You can get real field peas dried in southern grocery stores. The frozen ones are fake! They're black eyed peas. When I was in the north I jumped through hoops to get field peas for "real" Hoppin'Johns!
Please try the recipes with some real southern peas! I like to soak them overnight so they taste more like fresh-shelled field peas.
I'm from deep in the low country of South Carolina. Where I'm from we would never, ever use black eyed peas for Hoppin'Johns! We used a small, red pea commonly referred to as Field Peas; very different texture and flavor. More flavor and fiber, less starchy. In fact, my momma never cooked black eyed peas!
On my daddy's farm these peas grew wild among the other crops. Apparently this was the case for hundreds of years.
This year, having moved to NC from PA, I decided to grow Iron and Clay, an old SC heirloom. It sprawled, climbed the neighboring okra and finally starting blooming and produced a late summer crop.
You can get real field peas dried in southern grocery stores. The frozen ones are fake! They're black eyed peas. When I was in the north I jumped through hoops to get field peas for "real" Hoppin'Johns!
Please try the recipes with some real southern peas! I like to soak them overnight so they taste more like fresh-shelled field peas.