Assuming that you want green shelled rather than dried peas. Pick as soon as the pods fill. At full growth, the pods will change color slightly and be very easy to shell. If you want dried peas, just let them dry on the vine. Traditional way to cook is put them in a pot cover with water, add butter, salt and water to taste and cook til tender. Some folks use bacon grease or salt pork rather than butter or margarine. Any pods picked too young are snapped and cooked with the peas.
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We let ours dry on the vine before picking then store and use as you would any other dried bean or pea. Great addition to homemade vegetable soup in the winter or rehydrated and stir fried.

Dave

I grow Pink Eye Purple Hulls and treat them the way Farmerdill does... until they get ahead of me and then I treat them the way Dave does! I've only been growing southern peas for a couple of years and at first we were hesitant to try the method with salt pork (you know, the endless diet-watch) but this year I did it thinking "eh, it's just one slice of salt pork for a big pot, can't be too bad." Totally different flavor with the salt pork than the butter! Both good, though. I also did something last year where I boiled them tender, drained, then added them to a pan where I had sauteed onion, garlic, and hot pepper (all from the garden of course!) in olive oil. We quite liked that, too. Enjoy them!

I love zipper creams! It is very easy to get excited about them and pick them too soon. As farmerdill said, the pods will change color. They will lose their green color and take on a creamy beige/white color. If you squeeze on the pods you will also feel a bit of "looseness" around the peas.

At church dinners around here, the most popular way to cook them (the green ones) is with a bit of canola oil, a bit of sugar, salt and pepper to taste, cover with water, and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes. Never thought about adding them to vegetable soup. I will definitely try that come winter!

Try seasoning with Goya ham flavoring. It’s on the international food aisle.