How To Cook Black-Eyed Peas So They Don’t Fall Apart?

How To Cook Black-Eyed Peas So They Don't Fall Apart

How to cook black-eyed peas, so they don’t fall apart? Cooking black-eyed peas (also called black-eyed beans) is a tradition around the world. In many places, serve black-eyed peas for new year’s day dinner for good luck. It’s also a food that is a staple in southern tradition.

To make the perfect cooked black-eyed peas recipe, just follow these instructions.

How To Cook Black-Eyed Peas So They Don’t Fall Apart?

First, decide if you want to use dried black-eyed peas or canned peas. The cooking time for canned peas is less because they’re already pre-soaked. However, dried peas offer you more control.

If you make your dried black-eyed peas in a stovetop pressure cooker, instant pot, or slow cooker, you don’t need to soak them ahead of time. Just add beans to your pot with six cups of water (cold water is best), chicken broth, or chicken stock, and let them cook on low for 25 minutes.

For the stovetop method of cooking, soak your beans for at least six hours in a large bowl in as many cups of water as you need to cover them, adding more liquid as you need it. You can also use a quick soak method of soaking, which involves bringing them to a quick boil for a few minutes. Then all you need to do is place beans in a large pot of cold water and bring them to a boil. Cook your beans in a rolling boil for anywhere between a half-hour and an hour. Check your beans often after the first 30 minutes when your beans start to swell until you reach your desired consistency. Your beans soak up water as they cook, so they will get softer as they cook.

If your beans aren’t the right consistency yet but are going to boil over, reduce heat and let simmer.

Add bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to taste.

Drain your water and let beans sit for a few minutes before you can dig in and start eating black-eyed peas however you want.

Here is a good explanatory video on how to properly soak and cook your black eyes peas:

How Do You Keep Black-Eyed Peas From Getting Mushy?

To keep your black-eyed peas from getting mushy, make sure you don’t overcook them. If you use dry black-eyed peas, make sure to soak them for plenty of time so they will fully cook.

Combine black-eyed peas with bacon fat, chopped onions, and chicken stock or chicken broth. Cook beans in enough water to cover them completely.

Bring to a boil and cook for 35 minutes if you want firm peas or a little longer if you want a deeper beany flavor and softer beans. It’s up to you to check to make sure your peas soak up just enough water to reach your desired texture.

Once cooked, drain your beans and add flavor seasonings like hot sauce or black pepper. Serve right away or store in an airtight container.

Why Soak Black-Eyed Peas Before Cooking?

If you forego soaking your dried beans before you cook them, your beans will take a lot longer to cook. You will ruin a great recipe if you don’t soak them ahead of time. However, you don’t have to soak peas or soak beans that you intend to pressure cook, make in an instant pot, or use from a can.

If you make sure you properly soak them, you will have perfect black-eyed peas every time you cook them.

How To Cook Black-Eyed Peas So They Don't Fall Apart pin

How Long Do You Boil Black-Eyed Peas?

To make a black-eyed pea recipe that requires boiling, you want to make sure you set aside at least 35 minutes to boil three cups of bean in a large pot of water or broth. This will make firm beans.

If you like softer beans, you can add more broth as it’s absorbed while the beans swell during the cooking process. However, this will increase the risk of your beans becoming mushy.

Just before your beans are done cooking, add a ham bone or ham hock and some chopped onion to the pot.

Serve with turnip greens and some bacon if you eat pork products. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and your cooked ham hocks, and enjoy. (If your ham is frozen, I wrote a whole guide on how to cook a frozen ham! )

What Happens If You Don’t Soak Black-Eyed Peas?

You have to add black-eyed peas to water before you cook them. If you don’t add beans to water to soak, they will take a lot longer to cook fully and safely.

In case you don’t account for an increased cooking time, you won’t be able to fully cook your beans. If you make them for new year’s eve to follow bean lore that they’re good luck, you’ll have a stomach ache to deal with that won’t be a good start to the new year.

If you were wondering how to cook blackeyed peas, so they don’t fall apart, the first step might be to make sure you soak your black-eyed peas first.

You only have to soak dry beans, however, and only if you use the stovetop method to cook them. If you intend to use a pressure cooker or slow cooker, you don’t have to soak them ahead of time.

Summary

Now you know how to cook black-eyed peas so they don’t fall apart! This article has clearly shown that you can make sure your black-eyed peas don’t fall apart or get mushy by keeping an eye on them while they cook. If you prefer firmer beans, cook beans for 30-35 minutes. If you keep an eye on them and you check their consistency often, you can have perfect black-eyed peas whether you cook dried beans or canned beans.

Try using a ham bone or a ham hock in your pot. Make sure you remember that you need to soak beans properly before you cook them, which will also keep them from falling apart.

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