# Drying purple hull peas?



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I've eaten purple hull peas all of my life. I think I could live on these, sliced tomatoes and cornbread. I've spent many hours shelling, blanching and freezing them. Everybody I know puts them up by freezing. Anybody know how they are if you dry them? I've eaten lots of dried black-eyed peas and beans, but never purple hull peas.


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## kudzuvine (Aug 11, 2011)

that is a good question and I don't have answer. I thought about all the dried peas and beans you find in the stores, but not purple hull. I found a contact in Arkansas, a town that is the "purple pea of the world" and he didn't know either. They had just had their purple hull pea festival. There's got to be a reason...Janet


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Yep, dry then in the hulls. When ready you can clean them by rubbing the dried whole beans in your hands, crushing and shedding the hulls. Then you winnow away the debris. Cook them the same as black eyes peas.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Vicker do they taste pretty good that way? I really can't believe I've never tried this...lol.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

They are similar to black eyes, but different  I like them more.


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## Lamar (Oct 13, 2011)

I had some that were fairly well dried in the hull but mixed with some not so much. I spread them on a cookie sheet and put in oven at lowest possible setting ~170 I think for about 60 minutes then vac sealed. Haven't tried them yet though. 
Garden season has turned into hunting season and I haven't gotten enough deer yet to play hooky from the woods, plus I have to work for a living, 75 hrs/6days this week.


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## Lamar (Oct 13, 2011)

BTW, vicker, we are neighbors. I'm in Laurens, SC.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Cool. Calhoun county here.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I just let them dry on the bush. I pull the two halves of the shell apart and they drop into my container. I got a gallon or so out of my little tiny garden. 25' x 25'


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

suitcase_sally said:


> I just let them dry on the bush. I pull the two halves of the shell apart and they drop into my container. I got a gallon or so out of my little tiny garden. 25' x 25'


They are wonderful heavy producers if they can get any water at all.

Thanks y'all! I'm definitely going to try this next year. I'm trying to go over to dehydrating rather than canning and freezing and purple hulls are one of my favorites.


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

Ate them all my life--good but not as good as fresh or frozen.


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