Dean I would recommend that you try split pea soup before you try growing the yellow peas. You may like it, but it is not one that I enjoy. That and and the similar peanut soups are two soups that I avoid. Lots of places sell the peas in bulk including Purcell Mountain http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Yellow%20Peas%20(whole).htm If you get the whole peas you can plant them. This outfit has some of the newer varieties http://northernsuperiorseed.com/peas.aspx. Canada Field pea is usuable for soup but has has been traditionally used for a cover crop and animal fodder in the northern sates.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pea soup recipe

Looks like split pea soup is on the menu this weekend or next. Hopefully it is a bit tasty or at least edible.

Anyone have any recommend varieties?

Dean

Dean, for pea soup, Blue Pod Capucijner should be on your list. Several places sell it including Sandhill Preservation.

DarJones

I was waiting to see if others chimed in with a favorite recipe but here goes...
I love split pea soup, being a waste not, want not kind of person I usually make soup with the water I've simmered a cottage roll in. I let this stock (for want of a better word) cool and skim the fat off then add water or chicken stock to make the amount of stock needed.
Split peas, sometimes all yellow but once in awhile I throw in a handful of the green ones, LOTS of chopped onion, some diced carrot, sometimes celery. My addition to this is a small amount of grated rutabaga (I think it adds that little something to the flavor). When cooked I put half or sometimes all of it in the blender for a thicker soup, just before serving I add a little fresh thyme and finely diced cottage roll. I think soups are a matter of personal taste, I always end up tweaking most recipes, adding a little of this or that, removing any ingredient I don't care for the next time I make it. Any basic recipe for split pea soup should do for starters then you can start tweaking it to your own tastes. Have I helped, probably not :).

Annette

Annette, I'm infused.

DarJones (:-)>>>

I take a very large pot, add about 5 cups of green or yellow split peas and a couple gallons of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer from 8 AM until noon. It takes this long to get really smooth. During the cooking, add lots of chopped onion and some carrots. Maybe a quart or two of chicken stock. Ham bone is nice if available but results are great without it. Lots of Celtic Salt and freshly ground pepper.

I have to make such a big batch or my visiting kids and grand kids will eat it all and there will not be any left overs to freeze for lunches.

I wonder if you could soak the peas overnight in the fridge, put through the blender, and cook for an hour or so.

I grew up eating and making split pea soup. Perhaps it's a New England thing along with chowder. Pea soup is pretty forgiving in terms of items you can add or substitute. I usually make a variation on the basic recipe that comes on Goya's one pound bag of green split peas.

Logistics: Usually when I'm making pea soup, I'm home puttering around. I often make bean soups at night, to have ready the next day. Get the soup going and then work on that night's dinner. It can cook mostly unattended until it thickens, and then it needs to be monitored and stirred so it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot. Before I go to bed, the soup gets ladled into storage containers and put in the fridge. If the cold refrigerated soup is thick enough to cut in slices, it's made right. :-) Be careful when reheating, it can "splat" like tomato sauce. Use low heat and stir frequently.

I never soak split peas. I've never tried to rush the process. I did try the slow cooker once and that completely failed. The peas were rock hard even after a full day in the slow cooker and I had to cook that batch on the stove. I usually do the "quick soak" for black beans, chickpeas, etc. instead of soaking overnight. To quick soak, pick over and rinse off the dried legumes. Put in a lidded saucepan or soup pot with enough cold water to cover by a couple inches. Bring to a boil. Allow water to boil for 1-3 minutes. Turn off stove, cover the pot, and let it sit for one hour. You now have soaked beans and can proceed with whatever recipe you are using.

Edie

Dean,

I grew 4 types of soup peas this summer. These varieties aren't split peas (as far as I know). All came from an enthusiastic young organic farmer who runs Annapolis Seeds in Nova Scotia. I'll post a picture when I get batteries for the camera!

Here are the results:

*Capucijner - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 6.5 cups, 5-6 ft vines with beautiful purple blossoms & indigo leathery pods, peas look a bit like golden raisins
*King Tut - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 5.5 cups peas, 5-6 ft vines, beautiful purple blossoms & indigo leathery pods, peas look like Capucijners but a bit darker
*Canadian - planted: 60 seeds, yield: 4 cups, 5 ft vines with white blossoms, and papery pods, peas look like tiny garbanzo beans
*St Hubert - planted: 60 peas, yield: 3 cups, 4.5-5 ft vines, white blossoms, papery pods, peas look like tiny garbanzos with lt green tint

I've tried the Capucijners in a ham soup. Soaked them overnight because they're larger than black beans in size. Then cooked them in a ham soup in the crock pot. (onions, carrots, ham, etc) Made a very good soup. Peas looked & tasted like soup beans. Next time I will use the immersible blender to thicken it.

I'm looking for a good French Canadian soup recipe to use with my Canadian & St Hubert peas.

I've heard that split peas are actually field peas that naturally split. I've also heard that smooth garden peas aren't as sweet and make good soup peas, Alaska, for example. These peas are mechanically split. I'd like to know more about split peas.

One thing I like about growing soup peas is that they can go in the ground much earlier than beans & they mature early leaving plenty of time for another crop such as lettuce, spinach, kale, etc. A big plus in Vermont.

Here is a link that might be useful: Annapolis Valley Seeds

Just browsed Heritage Harvest Seed's website, they carry a few soup peas along with an extensive list of other legumes and other heirloom veggies. According to their home page they will send to the U.S. also internationally. They just might have that elusive variety you've been looking for.
Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Harvest Seed...Peas