My frozen purple hull peas recipe is the best! This old-fashioned southern dish made on the stove starts with ham hock stock flavored with garlic and onion. I put in extra ham as well, making the dish super filling, along with onion soup mix to really enhance the flavor. Served with cornbread, this was an amazing meal. If you want to learn how to cook frozen purple hull peas on the stove, keep reading!
Purple Hull Peas vs Black Eyed Peas
Purple hull peas, like black eyed peas, are a type of cow pea introduced to the southern United States by African slaves. They both have a light green or brown color, but the main difference is the color of the dot or “eye”: purple hull peas have a purple or purple-brown eye while black eyed peas have a dark brown eye.
Although the taste is similar as well, a SouthernLiving.com article on field peas states that purple hull peas are creamier and milder than black eyed peas. Unlike black eyed peas which are normally bought dried, purple hull peas are usually bought fresh in the summer. In fact, the town of Emmerson, Arkansas celebrates the Purple Hull Pea Festival in June.
Frozen Purple Hull Peas Recipe Ingredients
My frozen purple hull peas on the stove with ham recipe is to prepare because it has just a few ingredients:
Frozen Purple Hull Peas – 24 oz (2, 12 oz bags)
Ham Hock – 3/4 lb
Extra Ham – 1/2 lb (about 1 1/3 cups)
Vegetable Stock – about 3 cups
Onion – about 1/2 lb, chopped
Garlic – about 5 cloves, chopped
Onion Soup Mix – 1 oz packet
Water – extra water as needed
Tools:
Large Pot – For cooking the peas on the stove.
Wooden Spoon – So you can stir the peas as they cook.
How to Cook Frozen Purple Hull Peas on the Stove
Learning how to make frozen purple hull peas on the stove is easy. Just follow the simple steps outlined below:
Make the Ham Hock Stock
I placed my 3/4 lb ham hock in a pot with my homemade vegetable stock and some extra water to just barely cover the hock. I then turned on the stove and brought the pot to a boil and boiled it on medium heat for 2 hours.
Add Chopped Onions and Garlic
I added the chopped garlic and onions to the broth–but not the frozen purple hull peas–and let them boil them on their own for 10 minutes to soften their bite.
Add the Frozen Purple Hull Peas
Once the pot came to a boil, I added the frozen purple hull peas. No need to thaw–just dump them directly from the bag into the pot. You might want to dump them into a bowl and look for any small stones or dirt, but I didn’t.
Sprinkle in Onion Soup Mix
As in my Mississippi pot roast with potatoes and carrots recipe, onion soup mix is the secret ingredient in this dish. It adds a nice punch of sweet onion flavor that goes well in a lot of things–that’s why old-school southern cooks use it so much.
Cook the Frozen Hull Peas for 40 Minutes
Then, boil the purple hull peas on medium heat for 40 minutes. Although you could add the extra ham now, I waited because I didn’t want to run the risk of making the ham tough.
Pull Out the Ham Hock
I cooked the peas with the ham hock for 40 minutes, then I pull out the hock. I set it off to the side so it could cool down and be safe to handle in a few minutes.
Put in Extra Ham
After pulling out the ham hock, I added 1/2 pound of extra ham. I used leftover Christmas ham, but you could cut up a ham steak as well.
Cook the Frozen Purple Hull Peas on the Stove for 1 and 1/2 Hours
Once the extra ham was added, I continued cooking the peas for another hour and 30 minutes. I think this is the perfect cooking time for frozen purple hull peas: enough for them to get soft, but not falling apart.
Take the Meat Off the Ham Hock
After the ham hock had cooled down some, I pulled off the meat and added it to the pot. You could put the ham hock back in the pot, but I didn’t because I prefer not having large bits of fat in my peas.
As the Peas Boil, Make the Sides
As the purple hull peas cook, take some time to make the side dishes. Whether you’re serving cornbread or rice, start it about 30 minutes after adding the peas to the pot.
Serve
After cooking for almost 1.5 hours, the stove top frozen purple hull peas with ham hocks should be done. When they’re done, serve and enjoy!
Frozen Purple Hull Peas Recipe FAQ’s
Although learning how to make frozen purple hull peas on the stove is easy, here are answers to some frequently asked questions you may have:
How Long to Cook Frozen Purple Hull Peas
For purple hull peas that are soft but not mushy, cook them on the stove top on medium heat from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Less for fresh peas, more for frozen.
How Long Do Cooked Purple Hull Peas Keep?
If kept in the refrigerator in a covered container, cooked purple hull peas should keep for 2-3 days. After that, they will start getting mushy, ruining the creamy texture.
Should I Put Baking Soda in Frozen Purple Hull Peas?
Adding baking soda to frozen purple hull peas is optional. Some people say it enhances the flavor and reduces gas, as well as softens the peas and preserves the color. However, an OurEverydayLife.com article advises caution when adding baking soda to peas because it can make them too soft, borderline mushy.
To help minimize the negatives of baking soda, the article suggests adding it not to the pot of cooking beans on the stove but rather to the water you use to soak the peas overnight. Honestly, I didn’t add baking soda to my purple hull peas, and I didn’t feel like it was necessary.
If you want to add baking soda to this frozen purple hull peas recipe, I suggest a very small amount, just 1/8 teaspoon. That should be enough to help preserve the color without making them mushy.
Can You Cook Frozen Purple Hull Peas in an Instant Pot?
Yes! Cooking frozen purple hull peas in an instant pot is a lot faster than on the stove. According to the FoodandLifePath.com recipe, it only takes 12 minutes of cook time and 10 minutes to release the pressure!
Can You Make Frozen Purple Hull Peas in a Crockpot?
Yes! In fact, Gina of HomeAtCedarSpringsFarm.com has a delicious crockpot purple hull peas recipe that takes 5 hours on high or 6-8 on low. If you put everything in the crockpot before work and set it on low, you’ll have an old-fashioned meal ready and waiting for you after work.
Frozen Purple Hull Peas Recipe Variations
If you’re looking for ways to switch things up, possible variations include:
Smoked Turkey – If you don’t eat ham, try replacing the ham hock with about 3/4 lb of smoked turkey. You could use a leg or wing, but I prefer turkey wings since they have fewer small bones, in my opinion.
Bacon – Bacon makes almost everything better, so you might want to add some to these peas.
Okra – For something different, follow this AllRecipes.com version and add some okra at the end. Just be careful to not overcook the okra so it doesn’t get slimy.
More Stove Top Recipes
There’s nothing like making peas or beans the old-fashioned way. If you want to cook like grandma, try:
Pinto Beans on the Stove – This recipe has ham hock and extra ham, making it very filling and delicious.
How to Cook Navy Beans – Once again, ham hock and onion soup mix are the star ingredients.
Other Frozen Pea / Bean Recipes
Frozen peas / beans can give us a taste of summer quickly and easily at any time of the year, such as in:
Frozen Lima Beans – A spoonful of sugar is my secret ingredient in this old-fashioned southern recipe.
Ham Green Beans and Potatoes – Use either fresh or frozen string beans to make this one-pot meal.
Frozen Purple Hull Peas Recipe Directions
Frozen Purple Hull Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 oz frozen purple hull peas (684g)
- 3/4 lb ham hock (340g)
- 1/2 lb extra ham (225g)
- 1/2 lb onion, chopped (225g)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 oz packet onion soup mix (28.5g)
- extra water (as needed)
Instructions
- Place the vegetable stock and ham hock in a pot on the stove. Add extra water to just barely cover the ham hock, then cook on medium heat for 2 hours to make a ham hock stock. Although I let the stock cool down to room temperature, you can move on to the next step immediately if you choose.
- Chopped onion and garlic and add them to the pot. If the pot is cold, bring the pot to a boil. If it’s already boiling, boil the aromatic vegetables on their own for 10 minutes.
- Once the onion and garlic are softened, add the frozen purple hull peas directly to the pot on the stove–no need to thaw. Add the onion soup mix at this time as well. Cook the peas on medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 40 minutes, remove the ham hock so it can cool off to the side. In the meantime, add the extra ham.
- Cook the purple hull peas on the stove for another 1 1/2 hours (I boiled mine for 1 hour and 20 minutes). Stir occasionally.
- Once the peas are softened, let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
YouTube Video
Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial, too:
