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View Poll Results: Do You Eat Black-Eyed Peas on New Years Day
(Native Texan) -- Yes 20 48.78%
(Native Texan) -- No 7 17.07%
(Non-Native - U.S. South origins) -- Yes 5 12.20%
(Non-Native - U.S. South origins) -- No 1 2.44%
(Non-Native - NE, Midwest, Far West origins) -- Yes 2 4.88%
(Non-Native - NE, Midwest, Far West origins) -- No 3 7.32%
Never Heard of it/ Don't Care 2 4.88%
Other (please elaborate) 1 2.44%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 12-27-2012, 08:22 AM
 
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We always manage to have black-eyed peas on New Year's day no matter what. Many years ago, we were attending a Lutheran church - and it seemed most of our church friends were yankees (no offense intended). Two of our closest friends - a couple down here from Minnesota, hosted a New Year's eve party. I took it upon myself a responsibility to give this nice folks some good luck no matter what. Most kinda turned up their nose at the huge pot of black-eyed peas I brought to the party. But I brought little disposable bowls and spoons and no one absolutely refused. As it turned out, that whole huge pot was almost empty when I took it home. People who had never eaten any their whole life were getting two or three bowls.

It's all how you prepare them - they can be so delicious, even to a "yankee palate".
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Old 12-27-2012, 11:39 AM
 
Location: Texas
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Texas Caviar (marinated pea salad/dip) Soooo good! I used to be able to get Bayou Magic Cajun Blackeyed Peas mix and cook them in the crockpot but can't find those anymore. They're really good too.
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Old 12-27-2012, 07:39 PM
 
Location: Greenville, Delaware
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Other: if it's convenient so to do. At home, usually in the form of hoppin' john; if at a restaurant, just how ever they happen to have them. I was a bit more religious about the custom during my adult years in Texas, though my parents did not show any interest in the New Year's black eyed pea cult, nor my grandparents AFAIK. I suspect the whole thing has either been revived in the South over recent decades, or has largely been invented with an accompanying historic legend. Interestingly, New Year's black eyed peas have made their way up to some restaurants in Delaware, though I doubt anyone knows the history/legend. What I have been given to understand is that after Sherman's march to the sea, all the crops were destroyed pretty much, except for field peas (not black eyes, actually, but smaller, much lower to the ground, but otherwise similar), which the Northern troops didn't recognise as crops. Moreover, field peas were consummed mostly by enslaved African-Americans and livestock. So anyway, in the winter of '64-'65, Southerners along Sherman's route ate field peas, hoping for better fortunes in the year to come. True or apocryphal, I dunno. Makes a good story, anyway.
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Old 12-27-2012, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
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We didn't when I was little, but we moved to Athens, Texas, when I was 10, and since then I've had them every year. Mostly because I like them.
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Old 12-28-2012, 10:49 AM
 
10,238 posts, read 19,541,842 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ETex2 View Post
We always manage to have black-eyed peas on New Year's day no matter what. Many years ago, we were attending a Lutheran church - and it seemed most of our church friends were yankees (no offense intended). Two of our closest friends - a couple down here from Minnesota, hosted a New Year's eve party. I took it upon myself a responsibility to give this nice folks some good luck no matter what. Most kinda turned up their nose at the huge pot of black-eyed peas I brought to the party. But I brought little disposable bowls and spoons and no one absolutely refused. As it turned out, that whole huge pot was almost empty when I took it home. People who had never eaten any their whole life were getting two or three bowls.

It's all how you prepare them - they can be so delicious, even to a "yankee palate".
LOL That is a good one, ETex! Kinda reminds me of an experience I had some years back. My ex was from Ohio, and first time I went up there to meet her family, it was right before New Years. Her folks were planning a little get-together on New Years Day. Their custom was German sausage and saurkraut -- which was delicious -- and I told them ours was black-eyed peas. None of them had heard about it, so I said would make some for them to try. Not to be!

We went out to find some, and they weren't sold ANYWHERE! Some people had never even heard of them!

I went into panic mode. It wasn't such a big thing that I couldn't make it for THEM...but it now became a matter of that I COULDN'T EAT ANY EITHER! And for a Texas/Southern boy, as you and some others allude to, this was like, like...not remembering the Alamo...or something like that.

As it turned out, we were leaving that day, and I drove like a madman to get south of the Mason-Dixon line to have at least one-bite of black-eyed peas before the New Year was over. She was yelling at me to slow down and I was yelling at her that this was a matter of honor and pride and tradition. And that I didn't necessarily expect yankees to understand it, but to please keep quiet...

I can't remember for sure if it was in Arkansas or Oklahoma, that I finally found a little place still open along the highway headed south, that (naturally) served black-eyed peas. I ordered a little bowl, and managed to eat it, right before midnight. I am proud to say, I was faithful to the trust...or scam. Whichever. They were good! LOL

POSTSCRIPT: A year later, we went back up there to visit her family over Christmas break. This time, I brought some black-eyed peas with me, to prepare. Like you said, ETX, they ate 'em up (no pun intended).

But...they didn't take so much to the fried okra I made. I guess that one just doesn't square with northern palates. The exception was the husband of her niece (recently married), who was originally from Georgia. He and I ate it like pop-corn! LOL

Last edited by TexasReb; 12-28-2012 at 11:00 AM..
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Old 12-28-2012, 03:26 PM
 
Location: Where I live.
9,191 posts, read 21,811,816 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasReb View Post
LOL That is a good one, ETex! Kinda reminds me of an experience I had some years back. My ex was from Ohio, and first time I went up there to meet her family, it was right before New Years. Her folks were planning a little get-together on New Years Day. Their custom was German sausage and saurkraut -- which was delicious -- and I told them ours was black-eyed peas. None of them had heard about it, so I said would make some for them to try. Not to be!

We went out to find some, and they weren't sold ANYWHERE! Some people had never even heard of them! ......
Yep. Seems like in most of the Midwest, blackeyed peas are considered cattle food or something! Former SO (IN) wouldn't eat them...said they tasted like mud.

Not overly fond of them myself, but I have my black-eyed pea soup in the freezer ready to thaw out and have with some fresh buttermilk cornbread on NYD!

The soup has plenty of flavorings to disguise the blackeyes....chipotle, garlic and fresh cilantro....it's even tasty!

No fried okra here...
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Old 12-29-2012, 12:22 AM
 
9,418 posts, read 13,441,099 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cathy4017 View Post
Yep. Seems like in most of the Midwest, blackeyed peas are considered cattle food or something! Former SO (IN) wouldn't eat them...said they tasted like mud.

Not overly fond of them myself, but I have my black-eyed pea soup in the freezer ready to thaw out and have with some fresh buttermilk cornbread on NYD!

The soup has plenty of flavorings to disguise the blackeyes....chipotle, garlic and fresh cilantro....it's even tasty!

No fried okra here...
I was never fond of them as a child and my mother would force us to eat a spoonfull on New Year's day. Now I actually like them BUT they must be cooked with bacon or fatback, pork fat makes everything better!
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Old 12-29-2012, 09:02 AM
 
Location: The Magnolia City
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXNGL View Post
I was never fond of them as a child and my mother would force us to eat a spoonfull on New Year's day. Now I actually like them BUT they must be cooked with bacon or fatback, pork fat makes everything better!
That's the only way to eat a cooked vegetable down south lol.
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Old 12-29-2012, 09:13 AM
 
10,238 posts, read 19,541,842 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nairobi View Post
That's the only way to eat a cooked vegetable down south lol.
LOL Agreed Nairobi. One of these days I think I will start a poll on how many of us still save our bacon-grease!
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Old 12-29-2012, 09:22 AM
 
Location: The Magnolia City
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^Can't say I ever have.

Does anyone else prefer their BEP slightly overcooked, so that it's more soft and thick, or do you all like them more firm and "ripe"?
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