Black Eyed Peas For New Years Day (and why!)
If you’re planning on having a traditional Southern New Years Day dinner, go get your black eyed peas now before they sell out! I mentioned this on the Southern Plate Family page and some readers are already reporting not being able to find any. While you’re at it, pick up some collards or turnip greens and don’t forget the ham hocks and fatback!
The following is from my Hoppin John tutorial but I wanted to tell it again with the black eyed peas in case anyone didn’t know why Southerners eat what we do on New Years Day.
New Year’s day hosts the most important meal of the entire year for Southerners. Deeply rooted in tradition, superstition, and hope for the future, we have definite must have dishes which even those of us who might not be as superstitious as others dare not shirk on this day.
I’ve told this story before, but it certainly bears repeating in reference to this meal. Back in the days of civil war, Union troops swept through the south, confiscating crops and livestock to use as provisions for their troops. Southerners who weren’t off fighting were left with precious little, save for peas and greens. You see, Union soldiers considered “field peas” and greens to be fit only for animal fodder. These dishes became cherished and appreciated as what saved many a family from starvation during those times and the tradition of celebrating these dishes on the new year was born.
There are three things every southerner must eat on New Years day, Black eyed peas, greens, and hog jowl or fatback.Black Eyed peas are said to bring luck in the coming year, with many traditions holding that you must eat at least 365 of them. We never had a number, but the more you ate, the more luck you were supposed to have so Mama always makes plenty!
Fatback is very tough and extremely salty, it looks just like a thick slice of bacon but is more difficult to chew. As one of the cheapest cuts of meat, it rose rapidly in popularity during the depression era of the South. Eating this is said to ensure good health in the coming year and I must say, it is delicious.
Greens can be either turnip, collard, or a mix of greens or a “mess” as we call them. They are said to bring wealth in the new year and as with black eyed peas, the amount of wealth you have is directly proportionate to how much of them you eat! To see my greens tutorial (I just love the pepper sauce recipe), click here.
I don’t store my dried beans in the plastic bags they come in because I tend to purchase beans and store them a while (I buy in large quantities). Whenever I go to get dried beans, I pick up a couple of bags of each kind we like, which adds up quickly.
I used to store them in the bags but learned the hard way that this is not a good idea as the bags are easily permeated by little critters, especially certain types of buggies who delight in dried beans. Instead, I keep some large mason jars around and pour the bags out as soon as I get home with them. The mason jars look really pretty if you have a country kitchen and although I keep most of them in my pantry you’ll always find a few on shelves or the top of the fridge in arrangements in my kitchen. This is also how I store my popcorn kernels, candies for baking, and many other items. I find it’s not only frugal, but the glass jars are reusable for a number of things indefinitely.
Sort your dried beans into a bowl.
Sometimes, little stones end up being packaged with the beans. This is just an unavoidable aspect of bean farming and no big deal. What you do to avoid cooking up those stones with your beans (and possibly breaking a guests tooth!) is to pour out a handful at time into your palm and look through them before dumping them into a bowl.
Now we have to soak our peas.
I prefer the overnight soak method but if you would rather, you can simply cover your peas with water, bring them to boil, then remove them from heat and cover and let soak for one hour.Pour out the soak water and replace with fresh water to cook the peas in until done.
Having said that, I still prefer the overnight soak method, which is what we’re doing here 
Before going to bed, cover the peas with water, leaving plenty of extra because they will absorb the liquid and expand.
See how much they expanded overnight? Now pour out this water…
And let me show you this beautiful bowl I had the peas soaking in…
It’s Pyrex, of course, a Cinderella bowl, which means it has handles on both sides. This pattern is called “Daisy”. I love how gorgeous and sunshiney it looks. Reminds me of my first trip to Florida when I was five and we stopped at the welcome center for free orange juice.
We thought we were big stuff if folks were on standby just to give us orange juice the moment we crossed over the state line!
Put drained peas in a large pot.
Add some type of pork for seasoning.
I am using a big old hunk from our Christmas ham.
![DSCN1173[1]](http://www.southernplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCN11731.jpg "DSCN1173[1]")
The finest seasoning is a ham bone with a bit of meat still on it but you can also purchase a package of ham hocks for just a few dollars if you need to (I usually pay $2-$3 for four ham hocks). I also keep slices of country ham in bags in my freezer to season beans with in a pinch, works like a charm.
It is possible to make peas or dried beans without using pork as a seasoning but if you want to make real Southern black eyed peas, you’re gonna have to get a pig involved…
Fill pot with water. Make sure you cover them well because it will boil down over the course of the day and you don’t want your beans to go dry.
Another way of doing this is to cook the beans this exact same way in the slow cooker. With the lid on, you won’t have to worry about it boiling dry during the day or check on it like you do the pot.
Now we add our seasoning. To read about how I learned to season beans ~giggle~ check out this post on pintos.…
You’re going to have to season to your personal taste but I start with a tablespoon of each. Add a tablespoon of salt…
Note: you’ll definitely need to add more salt so be sure and taste it after a few hours of cooking.
and a tablespoon of pepper…
A tablespoon of sugar
This is a Southern Granny thing. If your grandmother was a southerner, chances are she told you to do this and we don’t question our granny’s, we just do as we are told with a smile of gratitude and a “yes Ma’am”!
and add a tablespoon of oil.
(Also a granny thing..)
Bring that to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for a few hours.
Remove ham, hambone, or ham hock, and shred it.
Return to pot and stir. Taste to see what seasonings you want to add more of.
Add more salt whether you think it needs it or not because it does, I promise.
Grandmama says “Beans just need a good bit of salt.”
Serve warm. Pour a little of the juice over your cornbread or onto your plate to sop up with your cornbread because this is delicious! The juice is known as “potlikker” or “pot liquor” by the fancy folks.
I read somewhere the Southerners serve pot liquor in cups along side their dishes to dip cornbread in. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this in my life, have you? I’ve heard of folks putting extra juice in a bowl of beans and crumbling cornbread over the top and I’ve also heard of pouring juice over cornbread, but serving it in cups alongside seems a bit too high falootin for my tastes. But hey, maybe I need to get a little more high falootin’ in my life. Maybe I’ll pour m’bean juice in a little custard cup and even hold my pinky out while I dip my cornbread….Naaaaahhh. ~winks~
Black Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 Pkg Dried Black Eyed Peas (or field peas, or cow peas) - package size doesn't matter
- Pork for seasoning: ham hocks, ham bone, or large piece of ham
- 1 T salt (will need more)
- 1 T pepper
- 1 T cooking oil
- 1 T Sugar
Instructions
- Sort through beans to ensure there aren't any stones. Place sorted beans in a large mixing bowl or pot. Completely cover with water (with a few inches extra over the top) and soak overnight. In morning, pour off soaking water and place in pot they're to be cooked in. Add pork for seasoning. Cover with water and several more inches to ensure that peas don't boil dry. Add all other seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for several hours. Remove ham and shred, place back in pot. Continue cooking until peas are tender. Total cooking time will take at least three to four hours.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin
Ingredients
- 1 Pkg Dried Black Eyed Peas (or field peas, or cow peas) - package size doesn't matter
- Pork for seasoning: ham hocks, ham bone, or large piece of ham
- 1 T salt (will need more)
- 1 T pepper
- 1 T cooking oil
- 1 T Sugar
Instructions
- Sort through beans to ensure there aren't any stones. Place sorted beans in a large mixing bowl or pot. Completely cover with water (with a few inches extra over the top) and soak overnight. In morning, pour off soaking water and place in pot they're to be cooked in. Add pork for seasoning. Cover with water and several more inches to ensure that peas don't boil dry. Add all other seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for several hours. Remove ham and shred, place back in pot. Continue cooking until peas are tender. Total cooking time will take at least three to four hours.
Print This Recipe
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A member of our Southern Plate Family sent me a fascinating and detailed message via Facebook today regarding New Years traditions and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! Special thanks to Melissa!
The six major categories of New Year’s foods are grapes, greens, legumes, pork, fish and cakes. Here is what they represent:
Grapes: In Spain people eat twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each stroke of the clock. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Each grape represents a different month, so if for instance the third grape is a bit sour, March might be a rocky month. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight!
Cooked Greens: Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year’s in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are symbolic of economic fortune. The Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, the Germans consume sauerkraut (cabbage) while in the southern United States, collards are the green of choice. It’s widely believed that the more greens one eats the larger one’s fortune next year.
Legumes: These include beans, peas, and lentils and are also symbolic of money. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In the Southern United States, it’s traditional to eat black-eyed peas or cowpeas in a dish called hoppin’ john. There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. This all traces back to the legend that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg, Virginia, ran out of food while under attack. The residents fortunately discovered black-eyed peas and the legume was thereafter considered lucky.
Pork: The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Different pork dishes such as pig’s feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages. Pork is also consumed in Italy and the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity.
Fish: Fish is a very logical choice for the New Year’s table. According to Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, cod has been a popular feast food since the Middle Ages. He compares it to turkey on Thanksgiving. The reason? Long before refrigeration and modern transportation, cod could be preserved and transported allowing it to reach the Mediterranean and even as far as North Africa and the Caribbean. Some people have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck.
Cakes: Cakes and other baked goods are commonly served from Christmas to New Year’s around the world, with a special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items, a shape symbolizing the eternal, the neverending and continuity. In certain cultures, it’s customary to hide a special trinket or coin inside the cake. Whoever finds the trinket is said to be the recipient of good luck throughout the coming year. Cakes aren’t always round. In Scotland, where New Year’s is called Hogmanay, there is a tradition called “first footing,” in which the first person to enter a home after the new year determines what kind of year the residents will have. The “first footer” often brings symbolic gifts like coal to keep the house warm or baked goods such as shortbread, oat cakes, and a fruit caked called black bun, to make sure the household always has food.
In many cultures to have food on the table AT MIDNIGHT is symbolic of bringing good fortune into the home at the beginning of the New Year so that the home is guaranteed success and prosperity all throughout the coming year.
What NOT to Eat: Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.
Now I am not a believer in “luck” of any kind…being a Christian, I put my faith and hope in God for my and my family’s needs to be met and believe that nothing is by accident. However, it is FUN to explore the origins of food and tradition, so I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of info!
From One Foodie to Another…Many Blessings in the New Year!
Melissa K. Hand
Southern Plate Fan, Chef & Fellow Foodie
“Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”
- Charles Swindoll. Submit your quote here.
Also of interest:
How to cook a ham and get AT LEAST Four meals out of it
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Dec 29 2009. Filed under Holidays, Side Dishes, Southern Classics.
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Wow!! I just LOVED this post! It reminds me of my New Years Day meals that we’ve eaten for the longest time. The only difference is we always ate cabbage with a little bit of vinegar on it (I think that’s really a Canadian/Northern NY thing)instead of collard greens. And we had the cornbread too, which was served either like you said or crumbled into the beans. Either way, SOOOO good. And yes, the more you ate the more good fortune and money you could look forward to.
Christy, I must say that I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this, but especially so at your remarks about going to Disney and stopping at the OJ place. That welcome center was always a special stop for my family and meant so much that even to this day it brings back fond memories. Thank you for that trip down memory lane!!
Michael
Michael, I am from Texas and we always ate cabbage too.
I am from Texas as well and we always had BOTH cabbage and greens. Mother liked slaw while daddy loved his greens.
It got so that sometimes he had to cook his own cause mother was tired of them
‘Course, black-eyed peas were the most commonly et beans in our house and always cooked with some sort of pork. This year we are having some ham and barbeque pork ribs along with cornbread and stewed okra to go with it all.
I love to cook for New Years Day. We have a sort of ‘open house’ where folks can come nurse their over-indulgence from the night before, watch a bowl game or sit around, play some cards and eat up.
MARYB ERWIN, MY MAIDEN NAME IS ERWIN. WE MAY BE KIN.
THERESA ERWIN EPPS
I always cook a southern new years meal for my family but also part of the tradition that i did not see mentioned was cornbread (representing gold)…just as the greens represent paper money and the black eyed peas represent coins…i dont do fat back but i do any kind of pork product such as pork tenderloin, pork chops, pork ribs or pork roast, ham or bacon.
my recipes are not so traditional, as i try new ones every year, i am doing hoppin john cakes with spicy remolade sauce, cranberry cornbread and such….
Thank you so much for this post Christy! I found some black eyed peas in the freezer section at WalMart. They even had some with green beans and bacon already in them! This post has gotten me even more excited about New Years! I hope you have a great 2010!
Love the Blackeyed peas on New Years day. They even make a great dip with Ritz crackers. Gotta have cornbread too. Glad I got eggs and milk the other day at the store.. Its snowing here and if anyone has lived in Texas.. you know it’s a tradition for Texans to drive in it and slide off the road. Good way to meet folks when they stop to pull you out of a ditch with their pick-up truck.
Gotta teach the kids about traditions.
Happy New Year Christy!
Bill…you have got me giggling about the Texan driving in the snow tradition!
BillGent, you crack me up. I live in NC and we just had over 6 inches of snow (Dec 24/25, 2010). Can’t tell you how many people lost their mailboxes with people slip-sliding away.
Isn’t that the truth, Janice! We did have wonderful white Christmas but I felt sorry for anyone that had to travel. I’m a native tarheel, but I lived in Alaska for 16 years. I get tickled at everyone running to the store for milk and bread the day before a big storm is forecasted. God love ‘em!
~giggles~ (guilty!)
Add one more thing to the list of things I’ve never eaten…
so far…
okra..
collard greens…
and black eyed peas!
(I guess I’m pretty boring, born and raised in Washington State)
Smooches!
-Lindsay
Lindsay, I used to live north of Seattle and I would always get (FRESH)blackeyed peas in the produce section. Much better than the dried ones anyway, they don’t seem quite as starchy. Also, I prefer to season with a smoked ham shank. They are a little harder to find but a bit meatier.
I am so looking forward to our New Years dinner! I’ll be following this tutorial as well as the collards!!Thank you Christy for these great posts! Traditions make our “roots” even stronger! Love your Pyrex! What fun using dishes that are so “happy”!!
Bountiful Blessings in the New Year to you!!
This may help other southern vegetarians who are looking for something to replace the pig in the peas.
Take a half an hour while the beans are either soaking or cooking and roast a couple of yellow onions and a head of garlic. By roast I mean: Peel and quarter the onion. Leave the garlic whole but cut it almost in half, leaving the parts connected. Put in an open pan and drizzle with olive oil, and put in a 400 degree oven until soft to the touch (or the poke of the fork) – maybe 20 minutes.
Let the garlic cool a bit, and then squeeze the good parts out into your beans, discarding the outer skins. Chop the onion and add to the beans too. My mother would put in a can of whole peeled tomatoes too and she would be right.
It’s not the same as a ham hock in it, but it gives the beans richness of flavor that they lack all by themselves. Morningstar Farms (vegetarian) Breakfast Links could be added, either frozen out of the box or microwaved for a minute and chopped, if you still feel you need something “meaty”.
Thanks for everything, Christy! I wish you well in 2010!
I just add raw garlic cloves and some olive oil. Add the salt and some cumin after a few hours.
Hi! Many times we do eat pot likker from our turnip greens in a bowl with fried hot water bread crumbled up in it. Either as a side dish with the greens, or as a bowl of pot likker by itself. With a couple of green onions on the side to munch on. Mmm.
Does anybody else put mayonnaise on their peas? I thought this was just something we do in my “strange” family, but then I met my husband. The first time I ever cooked peas, he started digging in the fridge for the mayo! I knew I had found my true love!!
WE HAVE BLACK EYED PEAS AND I PUT HAM AND SAUTEED ONIONS IN MINE. GOING ALONG WITH THE PEAS WE HAVE CABBAGE. THE PEAS ARE FOR LUCK AND THE CABBAGE MONEY. CORNBREAD OF COURSE AND RICE PUDDING FOR DESSERT!! MY HUSBAND BEING A YANKEE HE HAS COME AROUND TO THE SOUTHERN TRADITION I THINK AFTER 20 YEARS I HAVE CONVERTED HIM I TELL HIM THAT HE AND THE KIDS ARE YANKNECKS LOL
Hi Christy,
I just love reading your entries and tutorials. They’re so warm and loving and funny and reflect what a wonderful, caring person you must be IRL. Naturally, they also make me hungry and inspire me to head to the kitchen to whip up something yummy for my family.
My mother is Japanese, so I grew up with traditional Japanese New Year foods and I will make some of those dishes for my kids, as usual. HOWEVER, because we also love southern food, I’m fixin’ ta fix some black-eyed peas, greens and pepper sauce too. ^.^ We are, after all, in Hawaii, the state that has the southernmost point in the U.S.! (It’s even called South Point, though the Hawaiian name is Ka Lae. http://www.southpointhawaii.com/ )
You always sign off with the word “gratefully” and I just want you to know that readers like me are grateful for you! You and your family have my warmest, sincerest wishes for a superlative 2010!
Hi Erika,
It’s good to know there’s another household that has both mochi and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day! I lived in Japan for a while and learned to love some of the traditions and foods. Do you throw beans?
I have been eating this traditional Southern Meal for my entire life. We always have black eyed peas made just like your recipe, greens with ham hocks or pork seasoning of some sort, rice, usually a large cooked country ham, and tomato pudding. Tomato pudding is a favorite in my family–actually, we have a clear division in our family–those who are passionate about it and those who hate it! This meal is required in my house every New Years’–got it from my mama, who got it from her family, etc.! Tomato pudding is easy–open two cans diced tomatoes, throw in a crockpot, mash them up with a handheld food processor, add a stick of butter and a cup of sugar, and some salt and pepper. Turn on pot for an hour. Then add a sleeve of saltine crackers that are crunched up real fine. Cook another hour on low. Stir every now and then. Or you can make it on top of the stove. My mom cooked hers on top of the stove, then ran it through the blender, then put it in a casserole dish with more butter on top. Baked about 30 minutes. Instead of crackers you can use stale bread. Very Yummy!
Hi Christy. We’re ready to go (with or without snow (in Southeast Texas)and have our blackeyed peas, ham, and cornbread ready. Just so newcomers aren’t disappointed, you might check the printed recipe. It doesn’t mention soaking the beans. I don’t think the end product will be very tempting. =-)
Christy,
What an honor that you posted my email to you! I just love Southern Plate and your “pull up a chair and sit a spell” style of Southern charm! I want to note that while some of the information that I sent you was my own, I did obtain some of the information from Epicurious, so I wanted to give them proper credit. Isn’t it great that we form bonds and traditions over food? My mother is a wonderful Southern cook and I wrote a poem to honor her and my father on their 50th anniversary. One part of that poem pointed out that my mother not only fed our bodies but our souls with the love and care she poured into her cooking. I have had the incredible opportunity to train with many chefs from different parts of the country and the world, so those experiences have broadened my palate and extended my culinary abilities; but I value my Southern roots and traditions, which are the bases for most of my cooking. I have found that we can all learn from one another if we keep open minds and open hearts. Chef Tell, who passed away a couple of years ago, was one of the most “challenging” chefs I ever worked with…but beneath that demanding exterior was the desire for perfection and beauty in the foods he prepared. It seems that commitment runs deep in all true “foodies!” Again, thank you for posting my email, for including me in your wonderful website and for making me feel “at home” each and every time I read your wonderful posts and try your recipes!
Blessings in the New Year!
Melissa
P.S. And I just love that I’m not the only Southern Belle who grew up dunking her cornbread into the “pot liquor” of the greens…that made me smile!
Do you think I can sub spinach or eat spring mix. I hate greens. I was thinking spinach dip with peas later on in the day.
I enjoyed the information you shared. In my neck of the woods, which is SE Ohio, it is traditional to serve pork and sauerkraut. That is what the grocery ad specials are for that week and the midnight buffets and bar foods will be kraut and pork. I can see the variation from the lucky food list and guess the influence of the German/Irish who settled here are the reason. The kraut and pork are generally served over mashed potatoes and when you are feeling really at home you stir the kraut into your potatoes on your plate. Anyhow Happy New Year to all of you and may we all know joy, health , and prosperity during the coming year.
My family does something similar. We make black eyed peas, greens, and a sauerkraut sausage and potato casserole (its like a layered sundae type casserole with cooked ground sausage on the bottom, sauerkraut next, and then seasoned mashed potatoes, then you bake it in the oven for an hour with Parmesan cheese on top)
my mom made great fatback she dipped it in hot water or if it was very salty she boiled it a minute she then took it out of the hot water rolled it in flour dipped it back in the water then into a hot skillet lightly greased i still fix it that way i enjoy the newsletter
Christy…..thank you so much for this post! Made me want some black eyes and greens with “pot likker” and cornbread. Now that’s good eatin’!
Happy New Year!
Marie In NC
Oh yeah….Love that Pyrex bowl!!!
Last year I had black eyed peas. First time I ever ate them
although my mum said she used to always eat them
but I never remember her eating them! I made
them like little pea cakes which were shallow fried. This year there will be no peas but
hopefully I’ll still have some good luck for 2010!
All the best for the coming year to everyone!
My Mamma and Grandma Nannie used to make black eyed peas,steamed cabbage and cornbread for New Years. Nannie said they had to eat poke salad (wild green) during hard times – East Texas.
They are gone now but I carry on this tradition…I can’t remember a year in my life without these on New Years Day. Last year I had a difficult time finding blackeyed peas as I waited too long – this year I picked up a big bag about two weeks ago.
Christy, Happy New Year 2010 to you and your family members and to all SP family members. Judy B. Houston, Texas
We also have black eyed peas with bacon and onions, cabbage with pork with peppercinni peppers and of course, cornbread for dinner. This year I am switching it up a little and making Hopping John instead of plain peas. And a big old chocolate pie for dessert. Then comes the Holiday guilt and we will try to eat healthy for a month or two. Sometimes it works. : )
Thanks for all the info. I’m a good Southern country girl and I’ve heard all this Southern wisdom all my life. But as an educated transplant to the big city, I’ve also learned to incorporate some scientific, cosmopolitan ideas into my life.
That being said, the old traditions STILL make sense and here’s why: With all the feasting and celebrating during the holidays, the new year is time to get back to reality and frugality. Put away the rich, party foods and get back to work. Dry blackeyed peas, greens, cheap cuts of ham, and cornbread are the perfect foods to start a new year on a frugal, down-to-earth, back-to-business note.
Happy New Year!
[...] Jordan of Southern Plate Fame, has a phenomenal recipe for Black Eyed Peas for New Years Day! She also tells us why. Which is something I didn’t know until a few years ago! I will [...]
Don’t give my husband any ideas about serving potlicker in a cup! If I don’t watch him, he will turn up any pot or bowl to the the potlicker off of anything! When he was in Vietnam, his mother grieved every time she had beans, peas or greens because he wasn’t there to sop up the juice.
Blackeyed peas, cabbage or greens, hog jowl and salt meat every new years.
[...] Black Eyed Peas For New Years Day (and why!) | Southern Plate [...]
Happy New Year!!!!
Just wanted to let you know that Sarah and I just put our Collards and Black Eyed Peas with Hog Jowl on. Sarah my seven year old daughter is anxiously awaiting “her greens”. She read the stories aloud as we prepared our New Years Feast. Thank you so much for sharing with us. May you have a blessed New Year.
I just love peas and cornbread mixed together. Grew up eating them like that and still do. Unfortunately, I don’t cook them very often because I am the only one that eats peas and I just can’t make a little bit when I cook them. Didn’t get mine on the 1st this year because we were traveling. Made some when I got home though.
Love your column. Happy New Year and good luck with your book.
Sometimes I just think that people write and dont really have much to say. Not so here
Christy, you mentioned buggies getting into dry beans and stuff like rice, flour, etc. in the pantry. Here’s a trick I stumbled on that really works. wipe down the shelves with just a little Avon Skin So Soft bath oil. I used some one year because I knew it worked on mosquitoes on people. No buggies in the pantry for months and months plus no bad chemicals around food.
Salt Pork works well…just watch the level of salt. I sometimes blanche the salt pork for 5 minutes, discard the water and then use the remaining salt port in pintos or peas. Diced ham, from the store, also works well and it very easy without slicing and dicing. Also, again, didn’t find the PRINT link on this recipe.
Hey David
.
I’m working as fast as I can but with over four hundred recipes and having to go back in and hand code the print feature into each one, I’m bound to miss a few
I’m overly human it seems and busier than a one tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!
Have a Merry Christmas!
I have just found my new favorite website! A friend posted about your caramels on Facebook and I found myself reading additional articles as well. This one is especially charming. I always went for my whole life to my Mamaw’s on New Year’s Day. She would have risen early to put on the black-eyed peas, the hog jawl or ham and the greens. Then all of her children (6), with in-laws and grandchildren in tow, would begin arriving. Grandchildren would watch the parade or show off Christmas presents they had received as other dishes were prepared for lunch…cornbread cooked in the iron skillet, tea brewed on the stove, jello salad in the fridge. Older grandchildren helped set the table and retrieve condiments. Ketchup was required for the black eyed peas and vinegar or pepper sauce was provided for the greens. When dinner was ready at 12:00, everyone held hands in a circle while the eldest male would lead the blessing. Your yellow daisy bowl made me think of the Sky Blue Pyrex bowl that always held the creamed potatoes. When my grandmother passed the blue bowl was the cherished memory of my youth. It was passed to me as her eldest granddaughter. It held gravy for biscuits EVERY Saturday morning and creamed potatoes for every family gathering. Now it continues to serve another generation on my table. Blessings to you & Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to making New Year’s Day dinner with these wonderful recipes. 2011 is going to be a year of change, and I want to welcome it well, with lots of good food and prayer. I pray that all of you have a blessed New Year.
Happy New Year to you!!!
Any time I cook dried peas/beans, I use baking soda instead of salt. It flavors them much the same, and greatly reduces the problem people usually have after eating beans, if you know what I mean.
And you’re “right on” when it comes to eating peas and juice ON the cornbread. Thanks, I love your recipes. You put alot of fun into reading them.
I’m not “high falootin” by any stretch of the imagination, but I have always had a cup of pot likker with cornbread. But then I have this strange habit of not liking my food to touch each other . . . so Grandmother always gave me 2 cups – one for my pea pot likker & one for my turnip green pot likker. (She always spoiled me rotten!) I sooooo love reading your posts . . . makes me feel like I’m back home in Georgia . . . luv u Girl!
[...] my Southern Friends and Family. Christy Jordan of The Southern Plate share’s with you the Tradition of Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day. My brother is married to a true Southern Belle, who cherishes the [...]
My granny always made backbones and ribs (in her pressure cooker) alongside her black-eyed peas, cooked cabbage (for me) and a mess of greens (for everyone else!). And I promise we never had our pot likker served in side bowls. Everything needed to meld together on the plate to produce true New Year’s Day nirvana!
The tradition of black-eyed peas on New Years has been a part of nearly all of our 45 years of marriage. My parents never served the dish as far as I can remember. But I love cooking and read that it was good luck to serve the dish each New Year. I add lots of chopped vegetables to mine (onions, celery, carrots, and even potatoes) along with the ham. Cornbread finishes off the meal. I usually make way too much, so I freeze leftovers and they taste even better warmed up on a cold winter day.
I love Christy Jordan & her Southern Plate recipes __ being a southern Belle my-sef , it’s just a real joy to read about all the New Year Traditions from different regions —I’m havin’ Turnip greens , pinto beans with left-over ham &&&&&& you guess it — CORN-BREAD — no sugar goes in to SOUTHERN CORN BREAD !!!!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE–2011– KEEP EATN” THEM SOUTHERN FOODS ,
Now hold on just a minute, dahlin’ — this Southun gal puts sugar in her conebread. Just a pinch, though!!
I’ve never had these foods so maybe I’ll start this year! I have the “Good Luck” foods list that you posted and am going to the store right now to get a few. I believe like you do that our “luck” is all in the hands of our Lord.
Happy New Year to you!!!
I watched you on the Today show…you were wonderful!!!!
In Charleston, SC we use “field peas” not black eyed peas! Love your recipies!
We’re going to be eating ham, cabbage, black-eyed peas over rice, and cornbread tomorrow. Good old Southern food
Other superstitions I follow: Make sure your house is clean for New Year’s Day because a dirty house on New Year’s Day means a dirty house in the coming year. However, NEVER sweep your floors on New Year’s Day or you’ll sweep out your good luck!
Being from southern Tennessee, in my Mother’s family not only did we have black eye peas, greens, cornbread but she always boiled a dime and just before serving the peas, dropped it in and anyone getting the dime is suppose to have great riches for the new year. I have continued this tradition in my family even though a very good friend slipped behind my back and slipped a handful of dimes in the peas during out dinner for friends and all at once i sat down to eat and go so excited that I had found a dime but then several others joined in that they had found the dime. A good laugh was had by all.
My husband loves his cook book and looks forward to your emails
CHRISTY WE TOO HAVE CABBAGE WITH OUR PEAS. I HAVE MINE SOAKING NOW. I HAVE HARD WATER (A WELL) SO I HAVE TO ADD A PINCH OF BAKING SODA TO MY PEAS OTHER WISE THEY WOULD NEVER GET DONE!!
****Hey Christy***One more thing my Mamma’s side of the family was very careful about….We never did any washing on New Year’s Day…It was supposed to be bad very luck, death in the Family…. So, it’s your lucky day. Blame not doing any wash on that ole southern tradition…..LOL….Have a Bountiful New Year.
Stephanie in Ocala.
I have heard this one, too! My Mama about scared me silly with this one. I will NOT run my washing machine on New Year’s Day because of it. I have my blackeyed peas cooking away today. It smells like my Mama’s house. I sure miss her and my Daddy; wish they were here to eat with my family.
I’m loosing sleep over this web site.
Ever since I saw you on the TODAY SHOW, I have not gone to bed before
2:30 a. m. reading your recipies. Yawn! You were wonderful on the show. I bet I’ve said, “Oh yes daaarhling, if it looks good from ten yards on a galloping horse, it’s good.” Your postings remind me of my mother, father and childhood days growing up “over on the river.”
I’m doing the works Jan. 1st cabbage, brown soup beans, cornbread, cucumbers, onions, ham, applebutter, tomatoes, and sweet tea.
Jan. 2 will be Christy’s meatloaf.
tomorrw
It’s now 9:14 a.m. and having followed this recipe beginning at 6:30 this morning when my toddler woke up, my black eyed peas are done and I am really wondering if it’s appropriate to have my Hoppin’ John for breakfast instead of lunch?? It looks so good I don’t think I can make it until noon!! Happy New Year and thanks for sharing your recipes and stories with the world – we love them!!
I’m Irish, English, Scottish, Ukrainian & Pennsylvania Dutch. Not sure which one this tradition is from (if any) but we eat pork & sour kraut on New Years Day to give us good luck for the new year (pork, kraut, 2 apple sliced, brown sugar & apple juice) in the crock pot.
MMM – sound good. Growing up in Alabama with fresh everything all the time, one of my favorites was when Daddy would kill a hog. Mama would cook the ribs in electric skillet with sauerkraut. Put the ribs in first (they were small, Daddy cut the whole slab in half, length ways) brown ‘em and then simmer with the kraut. Oh – they were so good. I made it with store bought ribs last year and to me they weren’t quite as good as with fresh small ribs. But my husband said if they were any better, he didnt know how we coulda stood it!!
[...] number, but the more you ate, the more luck you were supposed to have so Mama always makes plenty! Black Eyed Peas For New Years Day (and why!) | Southern Plate BLACK EYED PEAS for NEW YEARS Ingredients1 cup butter 2 onion sliced into thin slivers 3 pounds [...]
Love a good pot of black eyed peas and yours look very good too!!! I’ve never put sugar in them though…I will try that next time I make some!!
Let me know what you think!
oh girl – did the hoppin john, collard greens and cornbread dressing on New Year’s Day. I’d been looking forward to it since before Christmas! I just dont know what it is ’bout that Hoppin John, but dash it good with some Louisianna Hot Sauce and I can eat till I’m absolutely miserable!! But that’ll be alright, it’s back to Weight Watchers next week!! Happy New Year!