I have a question about separation, density and texture of this soup. After following this thread, I made the BBB recipe for Split Pea Soup. I doubled the recipe and followed it exactly, except I omitted the allspice. My package of peas was 1lb-13 oz, instead of the full 2 lbs for doubling the recipe, so I figured I wouldn't need to add additional water to cut density. I sliced the carrots, per instructions,cutting the slices from the larger ends in half to make the pieces more uniform. The onions and ham were chopped in small, uniform pieces. I cooked the peas in water as instructed. I did not puree, even though the recipe permits it. I added the veggies, cooked 30 more minutes, then canned per instructions. The mixture was thin enough so I did not add additional water. There was a lot of separation in the jars as I filled them, even though I kept the soup well stirred as I filled the jars. The pea mixture settled to the bottom and the carrots and onions floated in the thinner water at the top. I stirred each jar before putting lids on. After processing and cooling overnight, The separation is even more noticeable. The heavier pea mixture is much thicker at the bottom of the jars--kind of sludgy. Not even shaking the jar blends it evenly. Well, not entirely true...if I shake really hard, it mostly blends. As I have never pressure canned split pea soup before, I don't know if this is normal or not. Once heated, the taste and texture is exactly like my homemade/not canned soup. It has been less than 24 hours, so if I need to freeze this batch, I can do so. Is this texture/density/separation normal for pressure canned pea soup? Jill

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

Ahhhh, yes! Good ol' home made split pea soup, One of my all-time favorite 'comfort foods'. I've tried it in restaurants, soup & salad places, etc, But for some reason, It is just never very good. But I do love the home made! My 'recipe' is very simple, kind of like my mother made it. Just the split peas, the ham bone, some onion, a bit of white pepper, (I don't like 'fly-specks' in light colored foods) And a little carrot, grated on the largest grate of my grater, for some color. Oh, and water or chicken broth, of course. We do like it to be sort of thick. So glad you & your family tried it and liked it, Isn't it fun to try new things? And get a positive reaction from the family? Rusty

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.