1 lb Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull peas are used in both their ripe and dry stages. Very young Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull peas are eaten like snap peas, or green beans, steamed or sautéed. The ripe peas are shelled from their pods and cooked traditionally with a bit of water, onions and bacon or salted pork. The Southern peas are cooked as a side dish or main dish as a stew with larger chunks of meat. Store fresh Top Pick Pinkeye in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Dried beans can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 years.
Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull peas grow on semi-bushy plants that can reach anywhere from 18 to 24 inches. The 8" long pods grow in clusters at the very top of green, leafy stems, and contain 10 to 13 small beans. Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull pea pods mature from a light green to a medium-purple color. They are harvested at both the immature and mature stages, and some are left on the plant to begin the drying process. Young Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull peas are harvested when the pods are green and the peas are small and just a shade lighter than the hull itself. As the pods mature, the peas grow larger and turn a creamy white color. The rounded, slightly kidney-shaped beans have a pink eye where they connect to the pod. As the peas mature, the eye becomes darker and turns a bright magenta color. The pods are picked for shelling when they are a pale purple. Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull peas are said to have a superior taste to other pinkeye varieties; somewhat sweet and earthy. 50-55 days fresh.
Top Pick varieties are popular with farmers because they are highly productive, easy to harvest, and tasty. According to a study done in 2007 and 2008 by the University of Arkansas, the Top Pick Pinkeye Purple Hull pea variety is one of the top two favorites in the marketplace, next to another Top Pick variety. Most United States southerners are closely acquainted with the legumes, where they have been a staple in kitchens from Georgia to Texas since before the Civil War.