Black-eyed peas and ham, a Southerner’s New Year’s dinner

Hey there, have you ever heard about the magical powers of black-eyed peas with ham and collard greens? They're said to bring good luck and good fortune for a prosperous new year!

Today, I'm whipping up a pot of black-eyed peas and ham, with collard greens on the side. It's a tradition here in the South to have this meal every New Year's Day. But this time, I'm making my peas ahead of time so I can share my recipe with you in time for the new year.

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce bag of dried black-eyed peas
2 pounds of cooked ham, bacon, or ham hocks, diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of seasoning salt
1 teaspoon of red cayenne pepper flakes
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
2-4 tablespoons of butter
4 cups of water
4 cups of vegetable stock, or chicken broth

Instructions:

First, rinse your black-eyed peas and pick out any bad peas, pebbles, or other debris. You can soak them for a few hours if you want, but I usually skip this step.

Next, chop your cooked ham into bite-sized pieces and dice the onion.

Now, add your peas to a pot or crockpot along with the diced onion, ham, and spices. Pour in the vegetable stock, chicken broth, or water, making sure the liquid covers the peas by a few inches.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the butter and cook for 1-2 hours until the peas are tender. Keep an eye on the peas and add more water if needed.

If you're using a crockpot, cook the peas on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve your black-eyed peas and ham with some greens and cornbread. Enjoy!

Happy New Year 2025! Here's to hoping we all have a lucky and prosperous year ahead.

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