I am a Southerner. I grow and eat peas. IMHO pinkeye purple hull and zipper cream are the best. My favorite is the zipper. It is very easy to shell compared to many varieties. They are best when shelled just as the pod is turning blond. The size of the seed is very large. The taste is mild and texture creamy. Pinkeye purple hull are a close second. Green stage of the seed is harder to determine for a novice. Taste is great and texture is smooth. They can be blanched and frozen in zip bags for long storage. Youtube should have real southern recipes. I like mine boiled with a strip of bacon, salt and pepper. They should be easily mashed between thumb and finger when done. Don't use too much water when cooking, just enough to keep them covered. The broth should be very flavorful if done right. We usually cook a pan of cornbread with peas and beans. My family puts the peas and broth over our corn bread. We do not eat sweet cornbread. That's just nasty. Make yourself some hot pepper jelly to serve with those peas. I hope this was helpful.

Fishymamas, I was growing those peas as a seed crop, with the intention of sharing them with others. Unfortunately, we had 10 days of torrential rains in my area, just as the peas were beginning to dry... they all rotted in the pods, or sprouted. It was a total loss. Because much of the seed that I grow is rare, I seldom plant my entire supply, and this year (like most years) that proved to be a good philosophy. I still have enough left over for one more attempt. The seed was listed in the Seed Savers Exchange 2007 Yearbook by Dr. Kapular (who is a member). If it is listed again in 2008 (which is likely) I will try to obtain enough additional seed to do a larger planting, and I could share a few with you at that time. I was able to sample the peas before they were destroyed; they were very large, and quite tasty. But in terms of their yield, they appear to be far behind other commercial cultivars, such as "Green Arrow", which is my standard for a shelling pea. They are probably best used as edible landscaping, or grown as a novelty... but until I try them on a larger scale, I can't be sure. I'll be "babysitting" them next year, even if I have to throw plastic over them when rain threatens.

Thanks Donna, I am doing Square Foot Gardening and I have a bed that is 4 by 8 feet. The packet says plant seeds 3 inches apart, so since I don't have to abide by row spacing, I should be able to plant 16 - 8 foot rows spaced three inches apart. 16 times 3=48 inches or 4 feet. 16 8 foot rows is a total of 128 feet of peas. According to your numbers I should have plenty if I plant this entire bed full of peas. Let me know your thoughts anyone.

Although they are called "peas," purple hulls and blackeyed peas are hot-weather plants in the south. I wanted to plant them in April, it was so hot, but I waited, because "according to the rules" of southern gardening, you are supposed to wait until the first of May to plant. Then, the day after I planted them, it turned cool and wet and stayed that way for several days.