Hopping John (Black-Eyed Peas On New Year's Day)

RS Richmond ^

[deport]

Cow peas....... distant cousin of the 'black eye' and 'crowder' pea...... Purple hull is the name most commonly associated with them. I've planted and hoed a many row of them during my early years along picking and shelling.

[Coldwater Creek]

LOL!

[tubebender]

My parents grew Black Eyed Peas in our garden in the Great Central Valley in the 30s and 40s. My Mother made a soup with green shelled and snap BEPs with bacon slab leftovers. It must have been in the fall and I don't remember them at New Years. My folks moved to Ca from Texas in 1922...

[SuziQ]

I'm a Mississippi gal, and my Mama made Hoppin John and collards every New Year. I always loved the peas and rice, but have never been able to abide collards. WAY too bitter for me!

[SuziQ]

I love Texas Caviar. I've also seen a recipe called Prairie Caviar that is similar. I made it for a Twelfth Night party several years ago.

[SuziQ]

I made a beer barbecued Pork Roast in the slow cooker, Corn Bread, and a green bean casserole. Those greens will have to do for the money luck in the New Year since I can't stand collards or any other cooked greens.

[kalee]

I had mine and collard greens too. Happy New Year!

[GOPJ]

My wife is from South Carolina and it's tradition in her family to have Hoppin' John for dinner New Year's Day.

They say it's good luck to eat hoppin John on New Years... We have it every New Years - and sure 'nuff, we always seem blessed.

[kalee]

Candied tomatoes? Share the recipe please! :)

[kalee]

Cow peas You can get fresh ones in season at the NC State Farmers Market. They have many different varieties and fresh taste much better than dried or canned. But hey you can't get fresh in the winter, so you cook what you can get.

[blam]

"I always loved the peas and rice, but have never been able to abide collards. WAY too bitter for me!

Mom said the first frost 'takes out the bitterness' but, I couldn't tell the difference.

[Vinnie]

My mother told me that black-eyed peas were about the poorest fare.
That starting the New Year with the poorest food, things could only get better.

I cheated this year and made 16 bean soup. There are black-eyed peas in it so I'm ok.

B- eyed peas are one of the few beans I don't care for. Garbanzos and limas are the other ones.

[lastchance]

This is pretty much how I cooked them up. I did not use a recipe since my husband did not have one.

CANDIED TOMATOES

1 qt. can tomatoes
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/8 lb. butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a pan. Cook on top of stove for 3 hours or until thick. Place in a 1 quart baking dish and top with narrow strips of bread. Bake at 400 degrees until bread is toasted. Serves 6.

You can omit the baking part or substitue ritz cracker crumbs softened in butter for the bread strips.

[Vietnam Vet From New Mexico]

Sure I know what they are, grew them in the garden when I lived in Mississippi. Very heavy bearing, put up countless quarts of them. Purple Hulls are good too.

[tiki]

I have in the past eaten black-eyed peas on New Year's day but I really do dislike them immensely and didn't have any and didn't want to drive to town so I did the Mexican thing and had posole with my own homegrown and processed chile. Mmmmmmm, good.

[kalee]

Thanks.

[steveo]

So I had mine today (52 yrs), how 'bout you?

[blam]

"So I had mine today (52 yrs), how 'bout you?"

Yup. Yesterday, 01-01-2008 (64 years old).

[HIDEK6]

It's called hopping John cause after eating that meaning beans and rice you will be hopping to the john.

Doesn't this belong on the "fart joke" thread?

[kalee]

We had hoppin john with greens yesterday. Tradition.