Dean, I grew 4 types of soup peas this summer. These varieties aren't split peas (as far as I know). All came from an enthusiastic young organic farmer who runs Annapolis Seeds in Nova Scotia. I'll post a picture when I get batteries for the camera! Here are the results: *Capucijner - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 6.5 cups, 5-6 ft vines with beautiful purple blossoms & indigo leathery pods, peas look a bit like golden raisins *King Tut - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 5.5 cups peas, 5-6 ft vines, beautiful purple blossoms & indigo leathery pods, peas look like Capucijners but a bit darker *Canadian - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 4 cups, 5 ft vines with white blossoms, and papery pods, peas look like tiny garbanzo beans *St Hubert - planted: 60 peas, yield: 3 cups, 4.5-5 ft vines, white blossoms, papery pods, peas look like tiny garbanzos with lt green tint I've tried the Capucijners in a ham soup. Soaked them overnight because they're larger than black beans in size. Then cooked them in a ham soup in the crock pot. (onions, carrots, ham, etc) Made a very good soup. Peas looked & tasted like soup beans. Next time I will use the immersible blender to thicken it. I'm looking for a good French Canadian soup recipe to use with my Canadian & St Hubert peas. I've heard that split peas are actually field peas that naturally split. I've also heard that smooth garden peas aren't as sweet and make good soup peas, Alaska, for example. These peas are mechanically split. I'd like to know more about split peas. One thing I like about growing soup peas is that they can go in the ground much earlier than beans & they mature early leaving plenty of time for another crop such as lettuce, spinach, kale, etc. A big plus in Vermont. Here is a link that might be useful: Annapolis Valley Seeds

There's a first step I follow with split peas and dried beans to speed cooking and reduce intestinal flatulence. Put the legumes into a pot of water with at least 3X the volume of water as the volume of dry beans/peas. Bring to boil. Turn off heat, cover, let sit one hour. Pour off water, then use the almost fully cooked legumes to prepare whatever recipe you're making. Soup can be done in as little as one more hour. You can saute onions and other veggies in another pot while the peas sit. Or, take out the peas when done, use the soup pot to saute the veggies, then add back the peas and whatever liquid and other things you use.

Well, I decided to just put the beans in without quick-soaking them and also cut up the little cottage ham and added that at the same time. Did that around 9:45am. and set the crock pot on high and it's 1:36pm. here now. They seem to be cooking alright, smells good in here. I've had to add water several times already, just a cup or so at a time. They are absorbing alot of water. Outside caulking the old siding of the little barn and come in every so often to check on them. I might have them for supper by 6pm but not sure. Thanks everyone!

It is hard to go wrong with split pea soup. I prefer using a ham bone, but if I don't have any, I do use a couple of ham hock chunks. The ham bone usually has some nice bits still clinging to the bone, and I shred them and add to the soup when it is done and has been pureed. I add carrots, onion, celery and usually any odds and ends in the refrigerator such as left over green beans, broccoli, squash, a potato or two. I use water to make the soup and add salt, pepper, a bay leaf and maybe a dash of nutmeg and a dash of Worchestershire sauce. After 2 or 3 hours or so, I remove the bone, bay leaf and any meat and whirl it in the blender or use the blender wand. Then I shred any meat morsels and return them to the pot. It is always tasty, no matter what odds and ends I throw in.