Beginner Gardening: Harvesting Cow Peas, 0 by Ozark

Ozark wrote:
On the recommendation of Horseshoe, Farmerdill, and others here I planted some Pink Eye Purple Pod cowpeas in mid-season. You're right, they're easy to grow and very productive.

Now, never having grown any kind of peas before, I don't know when and how to harvest them. I've got some pods about the size of a new lead pencil, and many more pods that are smaller. Even the big ones don't feel like they've got much in the way of seeds in them yet.

Do the pods have to get dry on the vines, then I pick them and shell the peas out? As far as cooking, I guess they'd be just like blackeyes - boil with a little onion and hog du jour?

You Southerners - please let me know how to handle these Rebel peas. lol

Thanks.