Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Explanation of types of different "southern" peas!

I was always wondering about "southern" peas (there are so many), and my Aunt over in Lakeland, Florida was always raving about her "crowder, field and zipper" peas. She says she prefers a "white" pea to others of color. Well, not too much of this made sense ot me, since we do not grow peas quite as readily as they do over on other sections of the state. I had found this information online last night, but cannot find where it was this morning, but I gave full credit to the author at University of Florida Ag Dept at end of list here.

I had to put this in my blog, because I will want to come back to it again and again. I am hoping to try some ZIPPER peas on my next go around. The seeds are sitting in my Moms freezer. I think I will try them at our best time of year for planting, which is mid-October.

Here are the different types of southern peas and I hope it can help some of you out there who may want to give them a try.
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Blackeye Group

The seeds are not crowded in the pods. They are white, with dark black eyes.
Examples: Ramshorn Blackeye, California Blackeye #5, Giant Ramshorn, Extra Early Blackeye, Blackeye Crowder, Queen Anne, and Royal Blackeye.

Blackeye Crowder Group

Similar to regular blackeyes, except the seeds are crowded in the pods.
Example: Alacrowder.

Colored-eye Group

This group has seed-eye coloring other than black. Usually it is brown, tan, or pink. Seeds not crowded.
Examples: Alalong (Longhorn), Todd, Alabunch, Big Boy, Texas Big Boy, and Royal Pink Eye.

Colored-eye Crowder Group

Same as above (No. 3), except seeds are crowded in pods. Includes Red “holstein eye” pattern.
Examples: Pinkeye Crowder, Browneye Crowder, White Pinkeye. Calico (Hereford), and Alabrowneye.

Black Crowder Group

The Seeds are solid black when dry, purple when immature. Seed most always crowded.
Example: Black Crowder.

Brown Crowder Group

Most crowders fit into this group, and most all brown seeds fit here. Some seeds are tan colored, with only slightly darker eyes.
Examples: Grown Crowder, Sugar Crowder, Silverskin Crowder, Alabama Crowder (not the same as Alacrowder), Mississippi Silverbrown, Jackson 21, Dixie-Lee, Producer, Calhoun Crowder, and Colossus.

Speckle Crowder Group

Speckled blue seeds are moderately crowded in pods. Have largest seeds of the Southern peas.
Examples: Blue Goose (Gray Goose), Whittle, Speckled Java, Gray Crowder, and Taylor.

Cream Group (Conch)

Seeds are light green or white, and relatively small. Cooking water comes out bright and clear. Since most creams are uncrowded, most fit into this group.
Examples: Floricream, Sadandy, Cabbage (Bush White Acre), Running Acre (Running Conch), Topset, Snapea, Climax, Bush Conch, White Acre, Terrace, Gentlemen, Texas Creams (40, 8 12 others), Elite, Freezegreen, Mississippi Cream, and Royal Cream.

Cream Crowder Group

Uncolored seeds, but crowded in pods.
Examples: Lady Cream, Lady Finger (Rice or Catjang), White Sugar Crowder (actually have a colored eye, so would fit the colored-eye crowder group), Zipper Cream (also called Zipper Peas), Mississippi Silver, and Royal Cream Crowder.

Purple Hull Group

Seed pods show some purple coloring, either at tip or all over. Seeds may or may not be crowded. Usually white peas with buff, brown, or pink eyes.
Examples: Jackson Purple Hull, Dixie Queen, Herbken, Knuckle Purple Hull, Pinkeye Purple Hull, Purple Tip Crowder, Purple Hull, Big Boy Purple Hull, Coronet, and Crimson.

Field and Forage Group

This group includes all those grown most usually for forage cropping and soil improvement. However, they make o.k. table fare.
Examples: Iron, Clay, Whipporwill, New Era, Groit, Brabham, Victor, Arlington, Red Ripper, Columbia, Michigan Favorite, Chinese Red Pea, Coronet, and Tetapeche Gray.

Long Pod Group

This group is characterized by having extra-long pods. Length ranges from over 10 inches up to 36 inches.
Example: An example of a 10-inch variety is ‘Snapea’ developed by Al Lorz in Florida. A long example would be the yard-long variety called ‘Yard-long Bean’ (Vigna unguiculata, subspecies sesquipedalis (L.) Verde. Its unusually long pods are borne on trailing, climbing vines reaching 9 to 12 feet in length, requiring trellising. The pods are snapped instead of being shelled.

CREDIT:
This is part of an article written by by M. J. Stephens, University of Florida,
Vegetable Crop Department.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the info, Julie. So that's why they're named Crowder Peas. Makes sense. And I always thought plants were named after people. So far the only peas I've grown in Florida are the snow peas. I like eating the pod along with the pea. Maybe it's because I'm lazy:)

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  2. I had no idea there were so many kinds of peas! wow.

    HUGS!!

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  3. Good information, it's almost pea season for me.

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  4. Woosh! what a huge inventory of knowledge you bestow here! Making me hungry for lunch! LOL

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  5. Julie, what forum are you speaking of. Crow's Creek Primitives or which one. Let me know and I will see what the problem is..
    Jan

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  6. You're making me hungry - if you had included a recipe for cornbread I would be done for!

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  7. That is a lot of peas! I had no idea. I like snowpeas too!

    Now I'm hungry!

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  8. Julie, I sent the moderator a personal message so she should be getting in touch with you. Keep an eye on your spam folder too. Hope that helps get you in.
    Jan

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