Growing and Cooking with Black Eyed Peas

Summer-fresh Southern peas - or field peas as they are sometimes known - are a perfect addition to an array of dishes.

1 | Appearance

While the black-eyed pea may be the most well-known of the Southern peas, there are many different varieties of this hearty legume. The plant itself may be vining, semi-vining or bushy, and the pea pods can range from green to silver or purple. The peas may appear cream in color, or buff, black, brown or spotted. Some varieties also have a colored eye, which may be pink, maroon or black.

2 | Use

Southern peas can be used in a bevy of dishes, ranging from pasta salad, soups and Hoppin’ John to salads, relish and casseroles. They can also be used to make hummus and other creative dips.

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3 | Grow

According to the LSU Ag Center’s “Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide,” Southern peas make for a great rotating crop. For example, after harvesting Irish potatoes or onions in May, the rows can be reworked and planted with Southern peas from June through August. Extend the harvest by planting successive early, midseason, and late-maturing varieties. Plant the seeds one-half inch deep, four to six inches apart, and expect to harvest within 70 to 80 days.

4 | Learn

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Southern peas— known worldwide as cowpeas—comprise an entire subset of the legume family. A staple crop in the Southeast, these peas (which are actually beans) can be eaten fresh, processed in the green stage or dried on the plant. Because most varieties produce their own nitrogen in root nodules, they are great for soil-building summer crops.

5 | Lagniappe

Southern peas can be affected by a number of insect pests. Cowpea curculio is one of the worst, as this black weevil feeds in the early part of the summer on the developing pods and then lays its eggs in the developing seeds. The standard control program for this pest includes insecticide applications from first flower to the pre-harvest interval.

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