New Mexico Pea is a traditional soup pea with smooth, beige skin that has been grown throughout New Mexico for generations. This heritage variety from Native Seeds/SEARCH's Seed Bank Collection represents the agricultural legacy of the American Southwest, where it thrives in the region's distinctive growing conditions. As a dry pea, it's harvested at full maturity and valued for its reliable performance and culinary versatility in one of North America's most distinctive food cultures.
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6-10
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Moderate
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This is a Spanish soup pea with deep roots in New Mexico agriculture, preserved by Native Seeds/SEARCH and passed down through countless home gardens across the region. The smooth, beige pods mature to a cream-colored dry pea perfect for slow-cooked stews and traditional preparations. Growing it connects you to centuries of Southwestern farming knowledge and regional food traditions.
New Mexico Pea is dried for use in soups, stews, and other slow-cooked dishes. The mature, dried peas are excellent for posole-inspired preparations and traditional Southwest bean and pea stews. This is a culinary staple that reflects the region's long tradition of preserving and cooking dried legumes.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds into the garden in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in fall in mild climates. Peas germinate in cool soil and sprout quickly when conditions are right.
Allow pods to mature fully on the plant until they dry down and turn papery. The peas inside will harden and shift from green to cream-colored. Harvest when pods are completely dry and brittle; you can shell them by hand or rub dried pods between your palms to release the peas. Store the dried peas in a cool, dry place.
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“New Mexico Pea represents the agricultural heritage of the American Southwest, maintained and distributed through Native Seeds/SEARCH's Seed Bank Collection. This organization has worked to preserve indigenous and traditional crop varieties adapted to the arid and semi-arid regions of the Southwest, and this pea is part of that legacy. The variety's presence throughout New Mexico speaks to its proven performance in the region's unique climate and its importance to local food culture and self-sufficiency.”