How Many Minutes Does Black-Eyed Pea (Börülce) Take to Boil?

Dried black-eyed peas, once soaked overnight, boil for 35-45 minutes until soft. Boiled straight from dry, without soaking, that stretches to 50-60 minutes. Why do they cook relatively fast?Black-eyed peas have a thinner skin and a looser structure than chickpeas or dried beans, so they soften faster than most other pulses. Fresh (undried) black-eyed peas cook much faster still — just 15-20 minutes to boil through. What does soaking change?Soaked overnight, roughly 8-10 hours in cold water, black-eyed peas both boil faster and lose some of the sugars that make pulses harder to digest, since those leach into the soaking water. That water shouldn't be used for boiling — it should be drained and fresh water used instead. In a hurry, a quick-soak method works too: boil the peas for 2 minutes, take them off the heat, and let them sit covered for 1 hour. The result is close to an overnight soak, though not always quite as soft. When should salt go in?Adding salt at the start of boiling can toughen the skin and stretch out cooking time, so it's usually added in the last 10 minutes or once boiling is done. How does a pressure cooker change the timing?Soaked black-eyed peas soften in a pressure cooker in 10-12 minutes, cutting the time by roughly a third compared to a regular pot. The pot shouldn't be filled past a third full, so the foam the peas produce doesn't clog the valve. What does it mean if they won't soften?Peas that stay firm despite a long boil are usually quite old, or the water used is hard; hard, mineral-rich water toughens the pectins in pulses and slows softening. A pinch of baking soda in the boiling water can speed things up, though too much leaves a mushy texture. Can fresh and dried peas go in the same pot?Fresh and dried black-eyed peas have very different cooking times, so they shouldn't be boiled together from the start; if a recipe calls for both, start the dried ones first and add the fresh ones in the last 15-20 minutes. How does canned black-eyed peas change the timing?Canned black-eyed peas are already cooked, so they do not need to be boiled again; drain and rinse them, then heat for just 3-5 minutes. They are softer than dried black-eyed peas and can fall apart if boiled too long. For salads, canned black-eyed peas can be rinsed in cold water and added without heating, which is also a practical way to reduce the salt since the canning liquid is usually quite salty. How can you tell if dried black-eyed peas are good quality?Good dried black-eyed peas have a similar size, with few broken peas or dust. Peas that vary greatly in size do not soften evenly in the same cooking time, so some may dissolve while others stay firm. Pick out any small stones or bits of soil before cooking.