Black Eyed Peas

When are they ready to harvest?

Stephanie. Your photo is a purple hull probably a pink eye purple hull. I like them as green shellies so they are ready when the hulls turn purple. If you prefer them as dried peas, just let the pods dry on the vines. If they were blackeyes, the pods turn slightly straw colored, but the way to judge for green shellies is by feel. The pods will be full and lose thier brittle state. I call it a leathery feel.

When I purchased them, they were in bulk and the girl just put them in a plastic bag with no label, so I really had no idea what kind of pea I was getting! LOL I guess this one's ready then! Also, this is my first year to grow them. Are they like bush beans and only put out one flush of pods or will they keep on producing as I harvest?

Most of the purple hulls give one big flush and then smaller sequential harvests, if you pick them as green shellies. As dried peas one shot is about it. Most bush green beans will do the same thing, particularly the older cultivars. Of course peas will stand the heat of summer. Green beans here are toast in June whether they have set a crop or not. They cannot take triple digits day in and day out. My late planting burned out June 15 at 105 degrees without making. But back when I grew in the mountains of Virginia, they would straggle on all summer. Usually not worth the effort tho. With peas I usually use the first crop for freezing, subsequent crops for fresh eating, and allow a row or so to dry for seed. Dried peas are not my favorites so I seldom save any for that purpose. I like the green shellies with snaps ( pick some of the immature green pods and break them up and cokk them with the peas)
This is Quick Pick an early cultivar of Pinkeye Purple Hull

Nice mess of peas, F-dill! I'm ready to eat!

There sure seem to be more and more kinds of "Pinkeye Purple Hulls" nowadays. I always thought there was only one true kind until recently. There's been a seed shortage (commercially) around here the past few years with seed suppliers offering simply "Pink Eye" or some other name. The seeds seem to be much smaller than what I'd refer to as the original Pinkeye Purple Hull. (Fortunately I have that seed and am growing it out for seed stock this year.)

F-dill, does Quick Pick seed size look to be the same size as 'normal' Pinkeye Purple Hull? And taste is good?

Stephanie, what you have is a keeper for sure. Those are highly treasured here, dating back to 1700 in NC.

Shoe (off to check my cowpea patch, hoping to pick some before the deer beat me to it!)

Thanks, Shoe! I bought the seeds wayyyyy back in late January or February from a local nursery in bulk. They sell them by scoop size. The girl just poured them into a plastic bag and I had no way to label them! LOL I picked a few more today as well as a whole mess of green beans. Guess what's for dinner tonight??

Great! Have a good meal! I've had a bumper crop of green beans this year, actually "purple beans" (not to be confused with purple hulls) and so far have canned 10 quarts and 12 pints.

I'm glad to hear you have a place that sells bulk/loose seeds. So many places now only sell packets or pre-measured pound bags. Hope you continue to do business w/your local supplier.

Back out into the heat, supposed to be a balmy 99º today.

Shoe

Shoe, Quick Pick is early, about the same size pea as the Generic Pink Eye. Much more compact vine. Not as tasty as Pink Eye, more like a Black Eye ( California 46).

Wheww...I go out, work thirty minutes, get soakin' wet from the heat, come back in and cool off. How come we're having August in June?

Thanks, Dill. Sounds like I'll stick with the seed stock I have then. Hard to retrain an old dog anyway.

Shoe

Shoe, we've been having August since late May. I was out for about 2 hours this morning and my clothes were sticking to my body. Icky! And we've not had any rain since May either. Talk about hot and dry and stressed out plants.

I like it before they get hard and eat them like string beans. They are very sweet. Belle

Yep I keep hoping. After 5 years of drought, had good rains in January and February started April with a surplus for the year, now almost 9 inches down. Even the watermelons are drying up. I don't mind the heat, but hot AND dry is very depressing. Shoe, you are youger than I am. If something differnt catches my attention I have to try it. Going to try hunting down Early Scarlet next Year. I grow things both to walk down old paths from childhood or to walk new paths I have not walked before.

"I grow things both to walk down old paths from childhood or to walk new paths I have not walked before."

What a great way to put it, F-Dill. That should be a Quote of the Day!

I had to go search for Early Scarlet. Looks like someone in Arkansas would have it and could send you some. DG has some great folks in that state.
Meanwhile I'll keep an eye out around here for some.
Shoe

This discussion has finally clarified my confusion over what is a snap! a green "shelley," and a dried pea.

A picture does speak a thousand words...

Linda

I'm guessing a snap is a green, too young to be shelled pea?? A shellie is one that's shelled and eaten fresh or frozen, and a dried is one allowed to ripen on the vine and is stored for soups or planting next year.