How to Make New Year's Lucky Black- Eyed Peas

It is a southern tradition to prepare black eyed-peas for the New Years. When I was a girl every New Year's Eve, my mom had a pot cooking for good luck. I am not superstitious, but the two rules were that in order to have good luck in the new year, you had to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day an the first person to come into your home had to be a man. It is funny how things become tradition and habit. As I write this recipe, I have just finished a pot of black-eyed peas with ham.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ham bone
• dried black-eyed peas
• salt
• pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• thyme
• garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 can stewed tomatoes
• Worcestershire sauce

1. First soak your peas a few hours. If your want them to cook faster you can use meat tenderizer.

2. Sauté onion green pepper in a pot until transparent. Stir in garlic and sauté for another minute or two.

3. Next rinse off your peas and add them to your pot with garlic, onion and green pepper.

4. Add ham bits or ham bone. Add half can of stewed tomatoes and all your dry seasonings and water. Let cook for about two hours.

Tips & Warnings

• It you don't have ham you can use bacon
• Serve with white rice or corn bread
• Don't over cook, black eyed-peas cook quicker than other beans

Resources

• Bahamian Peas and Rice
• Bahamian Conch Salad

[FrazzledNanny]

on 4/30/2009 My family always ate Black-eyed peas for New Years also. Thanks for the recipe. 5*

[leanan]

on 12/31/2008 Knew I saved that ham bone from Xmas for a reason ;)

[LilacGirl]

on 12/31/2008 Sounds delicious, I love these old Southern recipes, must be because most of my family was from the south for a couple hundred years before heading out to Oregon!

[luv2blog]

on 12/31/2008 I make my Hop-N-John with field peas and rice (mixed to represent coins) and collard greens (for cash). Throw in some cornbread and fried chicken and you got yourself a fngerlickin' meal!! lol. We do the first person in the house must be a man for good luck as well. Well done!

[Teachforever]

on 12/30/2008 Alright now! You are taking me back to Alabama. Looks good.5*****