Black eyed peas

[seedcorn]

Grew California but they get tall and lodge. I understand I can plant thinner and take away some of that. Are there any other varieties I should look at? I eat them green with pods (hate stringing them) and dried. Really want them for green use as much easier to just buy the dried beans.

 

[Zeedman]

Have you tried, or do you like, the Asian long beans? They are cowpeas bred for use as pods, much like the difference between dry beans & snap beans. Most of those are pole varieties (and I have quite a few of those) but I have a true-bush variety that yields like crazy, and gets its first snaps 50-55 days after planting (but not very useful dry). I could also offer you a semi-vining variety from the Philippines that could be used as either pods, or dry... which may in fact be what you are looking for. Both have 10-12" pods of very good quality as snaps... but I pick them young, before the seeds bulge. Shoot me a PM if interested.

Oh, and if you like pickled dilly beans, that Filipino cowpea makes pickles crunchier than any common bean - really good.

 

[seedcorn]

Do any of them taste similar to black eyed peas? I grow Roma II & regular green beans. It’s the black eyed pea taste I’m after

 

[Zeedman]

Do any of them taste similar to black eyed peas? I grow Roma II & regular green beans. It’s the black eyed pea taste I’m after

I'm gathering from your original post that you are mostly concerned with the flavor as snaps? Not having tasted the snaps of BEP, I'm unfamiliar with their flavor - but I'm assuming it is strong. While I have not seen that much variation between different cowpeas dry (other than texture), the flavor & texture of snaps is more variable, as is the tenderness of their hull. While I don't often cook the snaps of varieties bred for dry use, I usually sample a pod or two raw. Those with darker green pods seem to trend toward stronger flavor, while those with lighter green or purple pods (including most yardlong beans) tend to be crisper, sweeter, and slightly nutty. Both of the bush varieties mentioned above ("Yancheng Bush" and "Bush Sitao Var BS-3") fall in the latter category... and if cooked firmness is important, either would give you that.

I think that the type of cowpea/yardlong you are seeking will most likely be either a prostrate creeper, or pole variety. Have you ever tried any other types? "Pink Eye Purple Hull" is a creeper, but not excessively so... for me, vines 3-4' long. It is a pretty high yielder as a dry pea, and is fairly early.

If you wanted to try a pole variety, I would suggest either the black-seeded yardlong bean that I grow (which was probably sold as "Asparagus Bean") or the black-seeded pole cowpea that Russ sent me. The yardlong may give you the strong-flavored snaps I think you are seeking, and is very early; but the dry seed is not noteworthy. The black-seeded pole cowpea Russ sent, on the other hand, has fairly good 10-11" snaps (though not as strongly flavored) and if let go to mature, and an outstanding dry bean yield (it set a record cowpea yield for me). It may be the same as an heirloom named "Cow"; but since the O/S was lost & I can't verify that, I've named in "Black Angus".


Snaps in 1st photo: Black Angus left, Thailand Pole (which is outstanding but not very productive) right. 2nd photo is dry pods & seed of Black Angus.

If you feel adventurous & have room for a mass trial, I could send you a sampler of all the cowpeas I have, and the yardlongs which most closely match the description in your first post. Something is bound to get close, and you could have a lot of fun experimenting & taste-testing. Or if you only want varieties which do not need support (some of which may ramble 3-4') I could do that too.

 

[Dahlia]

Have you tried, or do you like, the Asian long beans? They are cowpeas bred for use as pods, much like the difference between dry beans & snap beans. Most of those are pole varieties (and I have quite a few of those) but I have a true-bush variety that yields like crazy, and gets its first snaps 50-55 days after planting (but not very useful dry). I could also offer you a semi-vining variety from the Philippines that could be used as either pods, or dry... which may in fact be what you are looking for. Both have 10-12" pods of very good quality as snaps... but I pick them young, before the seeds bulge. Shoot me a PM if interested.

Oh, and if you like pickled dilly beans, that Filipino cowpea makes pickles crunchier than any common bean - really good.

My son just made a few jars with veggies that he is fermenting and one of them has some long green beans in it. He told me they make the best tasting "pickles" he has ever tasted! I'm going to have to try that.

 

[ducks4you]

I planted a handful of "asparagus beans", which are pretty much the same plant, and ONE sprouted and produced for 3 months for me last Fall.
They were tender and I canned them with Kentucky pole beans.
I snacked on a lot of them while small.
I like them so Much that I bought several kinds of long beans to grow in 2023.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Do any of them taste similar to black eyed peas? I grow Roma II & regular green beans. It’s the black eyed pea taste I’m after

And that taste is special imo. It has a history too.

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Mine are 1 lbs dried bag 1 spoon salt 1 spoon garlic and 1 cowhorn pepper.

Fry a teaspoon sized ball of the dough which you ran through a food processer after soaking and cleaning the peas down to their pith

Then choose to make more or not. Don't get me started on the slow cooked versions that use pork.

When the south lost the civil war, the blue coat bean eaters would not eat peas and to this day black eyed peas are eaten Jan 1 for luck as starvation was staved off by the unique flavor

 

[baymule]

My favorite is purple hull peas. I hope you find the black eyed peas you are looking for.

 

[seedcorn]

Since they are a bean, the dried beans in the local supermarket work. No crossing or hybrid to worry about. Done it before but they get rank.

G’ma use to pick green and cook with pork. Still remember taste.

@Dirtmechanic never had them like that. Will try as it sounds good.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Since they are a bean, the dried beans in the local supermarket work. No crossing or hybrid to worry about. Done it before but they get rank.

G’ma use to pick green and cook with pork. Still remember taste.

@Dirtmechanic never had them like that. Will try as it sounds good.

Use 1 lbs bag of dried peas for the correct paste texture.