Dried Peas Help

ChapelGirl

Pea soup was one of the few things which my dad ever used to cook. Mum would get a ham bone from a butcher - i.e. the large bone which is left when they have cut all the "ham on the bone" off it. That would go in the stock pot with a packet of soaked dried peas and water. If no ham bones were available then perhaps he would use a small piece of boiling bacon (gammon). If you use bacon you don't need to add any salt. He would cook the peas on a slow heat for a couple of hours until they were soft and soupy. If there were any scraps of meat on the ham bone these would be scraped into the soup (or a few bits of shredded gammon added to each bowl).

Stephen_Leak

BOILED HAM plus PEA & HAM SOUP

If you are going to boil a ham joint, why not make some pea & ham soup as well.

For 4 servings of soup

INGREDIENTS

1 ham joint
1 litre of water
250g box of dried peas
Ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

Rinse the ham in cold water, then soak the ham in cold water for at least 6 hours, changing the water once or twice if it is very salty, or according to any cooking instructions. If you are using dried peas, soak them in water according to the instructions.

Put the ham into a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. If you are using soaked dried peas, add them now. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering).

Put the lid on the saucepan and cook according to the cooking instructions on the ham. Remove any salty white scum, which will probably form on the surface of the water. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

Remove the ham. Adjust the amount of water, if necessary, to the required quantity of soup.

If you are using fresh, frozen or tinned peas, add them now. Continue cooking until the peas are soft. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy.

Continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

You can use dried, fresh, frozen or tinned peas. However, dried peas have to be soaked in advance.

Shred some of the ham and add it to the soup before serving.

Omit the ham and make pea soup.

TIPS

Pea & ham soup can be any consistency from a thin liquid with soft peas floating in it to a thick paste you can stand a spoon up in.

carolinosourus

Zazen999 wrote: »

To the OP; peas - pea soup kicks !!!.

Soak peas over night.

Next day, fry a sliced onion and a few sticks of celery [or add celery salt if you don't have fresh celery]. When nice and soft, add drained peas, and cover in stock or water with a stock cube. Cook for about 30-45 mins; let cool and whizz down. Heat again, season and serve with crusty bread.

Thank you so much for this! Boyfriend for some reason decided to buy a box and I had no idea what to do with the dratted things, I cook on the hoof mostly and if I ever make stews or soups I use pearl barley and red lentils and have never thought about the peas. The kettle is boiling for soaking as I type!

MrsTinks

Pea soup rocks! I'd never had it till hubby asked for it... cue me scouring the local supermarket for dried peas...
The little disks are compressed bicarb of soda
Pea and ham soup is delish and great with a chuck of home made bread on a cold winters day scrumptious!

Zazen999

carolinosourus wrote: »

Thank you so much for this! Boyfriend for some reason decided to buy a box and I had no idea what to do with the dratted things, I cook on the hoof mostly and if I ever make stews or soups I use pearl barley and red lentils and have never thought about the peas. The kettle is boiling for soaking as I type!

No problem.

This soup is pretty much failsafe; and totally full of fibre and filling - and so cheap to make!!!

jacky_horn

If the peas are old they can be really dried out. Put them in a pan with loads of cold water - no need for bicarbonate of soda and leave them for at least 12 hours making sure they are always under water. They will soak up loads. Put them onto boil. Don't have the pan (or pans) too full as they rise up and simmer them. If they are old they may take 2 hours or more, but don't take them off till they are really mushy. make sure they are always just covered with water. Only when really soft add the salt and a tiny bit of sugar. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Pot them off into portions and freeze. you can then use them as they are or tart them up with other people's suggestions. they are a staple food where I come from.

mrbadexample

Fill a mug with peas, piled as high as you can. Then add as much water as you can. Place on a metal tray, and hide under victim's bed.

As the peas absorb the water, they swell and the ones on the top fall off, bouncing on the metal tray. The resulting 'pings' go on for hours, just regularly enough to prevent your victim from falling asleep.

This works. Ask my mum & dad. :rotfl:

Justamum

mrbadexample wrote: »

Fill a mug with peas, piled as high as you can. Then add as much water as you can. Place on a metal tray, and hide under victim's bed.

As the peas absorb the water, they swell and the ones on the top fall off, bouncing on the metal tray. The resulting 'pings' go on for hours, just regularly enough to prevent your victim from falling asleep.

This works. Ask my mum & dad. :rotfl:

You must have been a wicked child :rotfl:

mrbadexample

Justamum wrote: »

You must have been a wicked child :rotfl:

Well, they didn't say anything after the first night, so I did it again the following night, just to be sure. They thought it was the central heating playing up. :shhh: