Frozen Peas

I spent the day shelling black-eyed peas. And I do mean the day. When they are ready, you truly have to get them off the vine. Fortunately, someone else was doing the picking. That's hard and sweaty work. We've got temperatures in the upper 90s. At least I got to sit in my recliner and watch TV in the air conditioned house.

Of course, once the peas are shelled they have to be "put up." That's Southern speak for saying we wash them, blanch them and put them in plastic bags. Then they go into the big chest freezer most of us in the Deep South seem to have.

This recipe is for those who have always wanted to put up their own fresh vegetables to eat throughout the year. And, yes, the taste is worth all the work.

Frozen Peas

Wash shelled peas until thoroughly clean. Be sure to check for imperfections in the peas. (Think bug marks.) Remove those.

Put peas into large container and add water. Bring to a rolling boil. Let the peas boil three to five minutes.

Remove peas from heat and let them cool. We put ice cubes in the water to hasten this process.

In the meantime, use a marker to write the date and type of peas on plastic freezer bags.

When the peas are cooled, place peas in the bags. Make sure to add a little water with the peas. Just remember that frozen water expands so don't fill the bags too full. We generally use a combination of pint and quart size bags. That way we've got everyday servings and company servings. Obviously, how many bags you have depends on how many peas you started with.

Place the bags of peas in the freezer until ready for use.

Black-Eyed Peas

I hope everyone already has their black-eyed peas in a pan soaking. For those of you who aren't privileged to be Southern, black-eyed peas are a tradition. The saying goes that you'll have one day of good luck for every pea you eat on New Year's Day. I don't know if it's true or not. I was never able to eat that many peas in one day, though I did try as a child. Did you know that black-eyed peas have a way of expanding in your stomach?

The other tradition -- another way of saying superstition in this God-fearing land --is to never, ever wash clothes on New Year's Day. The belief is that if you do you'll be "washing for a corpse" before the year ends. I don't have any idea where that comes from but my Mother has always preached it. Every year. To everyone who will listen and quite a few who don't. Her mother believed it. Her mother-in-law believed it. Frankly, it's easier to bypass the washer and eat.

Black-Eyed Peas

1 bag of dried black-eyed peas
salt and pepper to season
piece of ham, slice of bacon, or other meat for seasoning

Place peas in a pan of water. Soak overnight. The peas will greatly expand during this process.

Wash the peas thoroughly. Place in a boiler with water. Add the meat and a little salt and pepper to season. I've used a slice of bacon or a piece of ham left over from Christmas. Of course, you're supposed to add something I would never dream of buying much less touching. Trust me. Ham or bacon works just as well.

Be prepared to cook the peas for a couple of hours. They're done when the peas are tender. That means soft. You may need to add more water. If you let the water cook out, you'll have burned peas. Not a good way to start the year.

Oh, and don't forget the cornbread. Happy New Year!
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