Southern Style Black Eyed Peas - Good Luck for the New Year

As far back as I can remember I've eaten black eyed peas on New Year's Day.  My Dad is a big believer in the New Year tradition of eating black eyed peas for good luck.  Truth be told I thinks it's more about Dad just wanting to eat some black eyed peas and less about the good luck and tradition {giggles}. Nevertheless, I still eat black-eyed peas every January 1st.


Did you know the tradition has evolved over time into a number of variations?


When black-eyed peas are served with greens, the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money.


Served with cornbread.  The cornbread represents gold.  Yeah baby!  That's how we eat it.  Wonder why I don't have bricks of gold in hiding?


Get this - for the best chance of luck every day in the new year, you must eat at least 365 black eyed peas on New Year's Day.  Uh - NO THANKS!  I like black-eyed peas, but not that much!!!


Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.


And finally some people add a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving. (Hopefully they disinfect it!)  The person who gets the penny or dime in their bowl receives the best luck for the New Year.  This just sounds like a choking hazard to me!

However you eat them I hope they bring you a Happy, Lucky, Wealthy, Healthy New Year!


PRINTABLE RECIPE
Here's what you'll need:
1 pound of dried black-eyed peas
1 pound of bacon
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon black pepper

Soak the black-eyed peas over night.

Chop the bacon into small pieces.  Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.  When hot add in the bacon and brown.

While the bacon is browning drain the black-eyed peas, rinse,  and sort through them discarding any debris or bad peas.  Using a paper towel dry the beans as good as possible.  After the bacon has browned add the black-eyed peas, onion, and garlic to the dutch oven. Cook stirring occasionally for about 3 to 5 minutes.

TIP - Don't salt the black-eyed peas while cooking.  Salting while cooking slows down the cooking process and toughens the peas. Yuck.

Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the beans by 1 inch. Using cold water will release all the yummy browned bits on the bottom of the dutch oven.  Add in the black pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Simmer for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours adding water as necessary.  I like my black-eyed peas to have a gravy like consistency.  Some people prefer more of a soup like consistency. It's up to you.

When done salt and pepper to taste.  Have some Hot Pepper Sauce on hand to eat with it.  Yum!

This is the best pepper sauce to eat with black-peas or beans of any kind!

Don't like black-eyed peas?  For luck's sake - a little dab will do ya!

Best of luck to you and your families in 2011!