Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot
This purple hull peas recipe crockpot style is simple Southern cooking: peas, a smoked ham hock and time. The slow cooker turns the peas creamy and builds a savory pot liquor.
8
servings15
minutes6
hoursPurple hull peas cook slowly with a smoked ham hock, onion and garlic. The broth turns rich, and the peas are tender but whole.
Ingredients
1 lb fresh or frozen purple hull peas (about 3 cups)
1 smoked ham hock, about 1 lb
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Rinse the peas in a colander and pick out any stones or damaged ones.
- Add the peas, onion and garlic to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Nestle the ham hock into the center of the peas.
- Pour in the broth and water. The liquid should cover the peas by about an inch.
- Add the bay leaf, black pepper, onion powder and pepper flakes. Do not salt yet, since the ham hock is salty.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Fresh peas cook faster than dried or frozen.
- Lift out the ham hock and pull the meat from the bone. Chop it and discard the skin and bone.
- Stir the meat back into the peas along with the butter and vinegar.
- Taste and add salt only if needed.
- Serve with a ladle of pot liquor over rice or with cornbread on the side.
Notes
- Fresh peas cook in 3 to 4 hours on HIGH. Frozen peas need about the same time. If you use dried peas, soak them overnight first and add 2 hours. Black-eyed peas or field peas work the same way. Leftovers keep 5 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months.
Why purple hull peas love a slow cooker
Purple hull peas are a Southern summer staple, a cousin of the black-eyed pea with a creamy middle and a mild, earthy taste. They cook until soft and make their own gravy, called pot liquor, which is the part everyone fights over.
A slow cooker handles them well because it keeps the liquid at a gentle, steady simmer. The peas stay whole instead of breaking apart, and the ham hock has all day to release its smoky flavor into the pot. Peas this fresh do not need much help from anything else.
Ingredient notes
Purple hull peas: Fresh are best, but frozen work with no soaking. You will find them in the freezer aisle in the South, or at farmers markets in summer.
Smoked ham hock: This gives salt, smoke and body. Choose one that looks meaty. A smoked turkey leg or a few slices of bacon make good substitutes.
Chicken broth: Use low-sodium. The ham hock already adds salt, so you want control.
Onion and garlic: A small diced onion and a few cloves melt into the liquid and sweeten it.
Bay leaf, black pepper and red pepper flakes: Quiet seasonings that build flavor without covering the peas.
Butter and vinegar: A spoonful of each stirred in at the end rounds out the pot liquor. Fresh or frozen: Fresh peas may be sold in the pod, so budget for shelling them. Frozen peas are already shelled and are the easier option, and both cook in the same range.
Tips for creamy, flavorful peas
Rinse and sort: Spread the peas out and pick through them for stones and shriveled ones. Then rinse well in a colander.
Hold the salt: The most common mistake is salting at the start. The ham hock is already salty, and the broth reduces. Taste at the end and add salt only if needed.
Keep the lid on: Fresh peas cook fast, and lifting the lid lets heat escape. Check them only near the end of the range, and stop when they are soft but whole. Stir gently once or twice during the cook if you are home, because stirring hard can crush the soft peas.
Swaps and variations
Black-eyed peas, field peas and cream peas all work the same way. For a vegetarian pot, skip the ham hock and use vegetable broth, smoked paprika, and a splash of liquid smoke. A diced jalapeno gives some heat.
Dried peas work only if you soak them overnight and add about 2 hours. Skipping the soak leaves them hard in the center even after a full day. Diced bacon cooked until crisp and stirred in at the end is a good swap for the ham hock.
What to serve with it
Ladle the peas over hot rice and put cornbread on the side for the pot liquor. Sliced tomatoes, fried okra and coleslaw complete a Southern summer plate. A bottle of hot pepper vinegar on the table is traditional. Sliced cucumber with vinegar and a plate of ripe summer tomatoes add something cool next to the warm peas.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Store the peas in their liquid in the fridge for up to 5 days. They thicken as they cool, and the flavor improves.
Freeze them in their pot liquor for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pot over low heat with a splash of water or broth. Stir gently so the peas stay whole. The pot liquor is worth saving, even when the peas are gone, as a base for soup.
Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 6 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 13, led by fresh or frozen purple hull peas (about 3 cups), smoked ham hock, yellow onion, garlic
Tips for Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot
Fresh peas cook in 3 to 4 hours on HIGH. Frozen peas need about the same time. If you use dried peas, soak them overnight first and add 2 hours. Black-eyed peas or field peas work the same way. Leftovers keep 5 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months.
Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot FAQ
How long does Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot take?
Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot takes 6 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Purple Hull Peas Recipe for the Crockpot?
13 ingredients, led by fresh or frozen purple hull peas (about 3 cups), smoked ham hock, yellow onion, garlic. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
