Wait to season until the end because the ham hock and chicken broth will add a lot of seasoning and flavor in cooking. If needed add a bit of salt then add some ground black pepper and cook another ten minutes. The peas should be tender but not mushy. Southern Purple Hull Peas or Pink Eyes are a delicious variety of field peas.
Southern Purple Hull Peas or Pink Eyes are a delicious variety of field peas. While they're all similar, each adds its own unique quality. Cook the bacon pieces in a dutch oven over medium heat until crispy and all the fat has rendered.
The flavor of the purple hull pea is so fresh and delicate and it seems me and all of my taste testers (aka: my family) that the addition of bacon or ham hock overpowers the deliciousness of the purple hull peas. When you make them without meat all the flavors come through perfectly.
Fill a Three Quart Sauce Pan half way with water - about 6 Cups. Place on High Heat. Add Salt, Olive Oil, and Sugar. Bring to a rolling boil. Add Peas. Bring the water back to a rolling boil. Then turn the heat down Med-Low. Wait until they Simmer. Then Cover and Simmer for 90 minutes.