Wonder Box for Black-Eye Peas

First a little bit of a disclaimer. These Black eye peas have been stored since about 1988. Pinto beans that old would be very difficult to cook soft. These took longer than normal, but did get soft and yummy. So far the wonder box has been a fun experience just learning what it will or will not do.

Pick through and rinse the peas the same way that you would pinto beans. If you aren't sure what I mean, click HERE. All dried beans and peas should be picked over this way. I put 2 c. of black eye peas and 4-5 cups of water in each pan or cooker. Salt to taste (I used 1/2 t. for low salt).

1. Pan on top of stove: Cover and boil for 15 minutes, then place in the wonder box. The temperature was 204 degrees, but dropped to 194 within 30 minutes. 2. The wire you see coming from under the lid was a remote thermometer to track the drop in temperature. Since the lid was not down tight, it did lose some heat, even though it was covered immediately with the wonder box top pillow. I left them cooking for 7 hours. 3. I just covered the crock pot, placed a folded towel over the top and cooked for about 7 hours.

1. This first pot of black eye peas were cooked in the Wonder Box. I had to cook them on the top of the stove for about 30 more minutes to finish them up. 2. The black eye peas in the small crock pot were just right. 3. These are my favorites for dressing up the black eye peas. The liquid smoke is a quick cheap way to kind of give the flavor of bacon. Use a little at a time, too much can really louse up your food! The Frank's hot sauce is more peppery without being so HOT like Tabasco is. The bacon bits is . . . well bacon . . . and of course everything is better with bacon! Right? Oh, and don't forget the cornbread! The little gadget in the front of the picture is the remote thermometer that I used to track the temperature. I find it to be really handy to have in the kitchen and out at the BBQ.