How to Save Purple Hull Peas for Next Year's Garden

The purple hull pea (Vigna unguiculata) is a type of southern pea, also known as cowpea. It is adapted to dry, hot climates and is a popular vegetable in the Southern United States. Varieties of southern peas include the black-eyed pea, the cream pea and crowder pea. They are actually a legume, or bean, and are not related to the common English green pea. It is possible to save purple hull peas for next year's garden if the beans are harvested and stored properly.

1
Allow the purple hull peas harvested for next year's crop to fully mature on the plant. The pod coverings should be dry and beginning to split before they are harvested for storage. The color will be brown, tan or grey.

2
Choose pods to harvest that come from healthy plants on a warm, dry day. Do not choose pods from plants that are weak, stressed or diseased. Certain diseases can remain on the seeds and remain viable until the next planting season.

3
Remove the purple hull peas from the pods as soon as possible. Discard any seeds that are deformed, shriveled, have insect damage or mold or mildew on the surface. Spread the healthy seed in a single layer on dry newspaper in a dry well-ventilated place for another 4-5 days to completely dry.

4
Place the seeds in a glass jar and tightly cover the jar with the lid. With a permanent marker write the date and any other important information, such as the location they were growing in the garden, on the jar.

5
Store the jar in the back of the refrigerator instead of the door so condensation will not form in the jar when the door is opened.

Things You Will Need:

Newspaper
Glass jar with lid
Permanent marker
Purple hull peas
Refrigerator

Tip
Placing a silica gel packet packet into the jar with the stored peas can help keep them dry.