Texas Longhorn Cowpea

[hmoosek]

I thought surely I had started a thread on these, but somehow I guess I didn’t as I can’t locate it. I’ve had the pea seeds for so many years I can’t remember. Someone told me they could be the same as Red Ripper. I’m not sure. I planted these and the rains came, weeds/Johnson Grass took over. I was finally able to to wade through and grab some for seed. I lost a bunch due to grasshoppers and them molding in the shell. I weedwacked them and I’ll be darned if I didn’t miss a few that gave me another crop. As soon as I shell out a few dry ones, I’ll get a picture up. 

[chrysanthemum]

Those look really beautiful. I am excited to be growing cowpeas for the first time this summer. They’ve been on my “garden wishlist” for a while.

[heavyhitterokra]

Those really are beautiful! Makes me miss my Grandma Fannie's garden. She always grew Crowder Peas to put up for winter. I miss those days of the whole family sitting around together under the big walnut tree shelling peas, snapping green beans, and shucking corn to put up for winter.

[hmoosek]

I cooked these today and they were very good. I’ll be growing these again. In fact, if I can get my brother to come plow, I’d be tempted to try a fall crop. They really need something to grow up. These want to run 6 to 8 feet. I wasn’t prepared this year.

I’ve done some research and there is definitely a Texas Longhorn pea, but it’s not described as what I have. One fellow described as a white pea and then others say it could also be Red Ripper. How you confuse a white pea with a red pea is beyond my mental capacity, but research leads me to believe this could be red ripper. I wish I had kept better notes. All I had was a bag marked Texas Longhorn. The seed must be at least 10 years old, but it’s been in the bottom of my freezer till I planted it this year.

[heavyhitterokra]

Man, that makes me crave a serving of black-eyed peas and ham hock!

[hmoosek]

Finally got around to getting a picture. These are real crowded in the shell and some have an almost cut short appearance/shape.

[hmoosek]

Mom came into the house this morning and asked me about my peas. I told her “I ain’t got none, I mowed them down several weeks ago.” She said, “c’mere I wanna show you something.” I’ll be dogged if they haven’t come back and a few of them have peas. I guess that heavy rain we got a couple weeks back didn’t hurt, plus all of July was off and on rain.

[chrysanthemum]

Thank for the update. Somehow I had missed the earlier post with the photo of the dried peas. Those are beautiful!

That’s some hardiness if the peas sprouted again from roots after a mowing. I’m impressed.

[hmoosek]

Texas Longhorn has been drying for good while now. I smashed one between two bricks and it’s ready to go into the freezer. I’ve been trying to find some info on Texas Longhorn, but only found few places that mention it.

Gardenweb where a post describes it as totally different from what I have as he says it’s a cream colored pea. BUT another post that is more akin to what I have. He says it could be the same pea as Big Red Ripper. 
www.houzz.com/discussions/2002669/texas-longhorn-cowpeas


The other is Clemson Heirloom Collection which described it differently from what I have.

Here is a quote from Clemson.

Texas Longhorn Field Peas
From the garden of R.W. Bradshaw , Molton , Alabama . A very prolific southern field pea can be broadcast seeded or planted with corn or trellised. Long purple pods are easy to shell. Tasty.


I’ve grown Red Ripper and it’s a lot smaller pea than what I have. I’ve never grown Big Red Ripper so I can’t compare.

Afterwhile, I’ll take side by side pictures of Red Ripper and my Texas Longhorn to show y’all. I’ll have to take Red Ripper out of the freezer and let it come to room temp before I snap a picture though.


Whatever I have though, it’s an excellent pea. I neglected it, Mowed it down, it still came back and made another mess of peas. I ate two messes and still was able to save very close to a pint jar of seeds.

[macmex]

Wow! I missed this entire thread until now! I grow a similar cowpea. It was given to me at a Gardenweb Spring Fling in 2008. The person who gave it to me had made up a bunch of packets and was apparently leaving as I arrived. They put them all into my hands and... left. I didn't even get their name. The packets were labeled Kentucky Red. It's really good cowpea. The vines tend to spread out before trying to climb. I have always given them support. Here are some photos.

[hmoosek]

Oh Wow George! Your pea is very similar to mine, right down to the pods! Mine could have really used support. I totally neglected them and they did really just took off. We should trade seeds and each of us grow them out side by side.

[macmex]

I'll send you some. I have a good deal of seed in the freezer and plan on growing quite a bit this coming year.

[hmoosek]

@mexmac

Texas Longhorn is definitely not Red Ripper. Mine were completely different even though the seeds are both Red.

Here is my Red Ripper from today.

[hmoosek]

Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy!!!!!
I received my seeds of Kentucky Red from George today. I put them next to Texas Longhorn. Kentucky Red is Quite a bit larger than Texas Longhorn. TL also has a Cutshort appearance, Not on all peas, but most of them do.

Maybe next year we can have a Red Pea Shoot out. Hahahaaa!

[woodeye]

Cool deal. 

Get those pea shooters ready, but that Kentucky Red is gonna take a bigger pea shooter barrel...