Easy Good Luck Blackeyed Peas

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A southern tradition, I have eaten Good Luck Blackeyed Peas my entire life on New Years, even if just a teaspoon!

Do you know why it’s good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? As with most superstitions, there are several answers to the question.

Most Southerners will tell you that this culinary custom dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were considered animal food. The peas were not deemed worthy of serving to General Sherman’s Union troops. When Union soldiers raided the Confederates’ food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas then became symbolic of luck.

Black-eyed peas were also given to enslaved people, as were most other traditional southern New Year’s foods and evolved through the years to be considered “soul food.” One variation of the superstition says that black-eyed peas were all the enslaved people in the South had to celebrate with on the first day of January 1863. What were they celebrating? That was the day when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. From then on, black-eyed peas were always eaten on the first day of January.

Others say that since farming has always been important in the South, black-eyed peas are available and are a good food to celebrate in the winter. Not many crops grow this time of the year, but black-eyed peas stored well, were cheap, and it all just made sense.

Good Luck Blackeyed Peas

I don’t necessarily think Blackeyed Peas have a lot of flavor, so I cook mine with chicken stock and added water as they cook. I add salt pork or bacon and chopped onions and peppers and I finish with sliced jalapeño at the last 15 minutes of cooking!

You have to have cornbread with your peas! Here’s my Southern Cornbread recipe that always turns out great! https://the2spoons.com/southern-cornbread/.

Hope you enjoy my recipe!