Split peas: inconsistent texture and what to do about it.

Factual Questions
1

I made split pea soup yesterday and encountered “hard pea syndrome.”

I had soaked them in cold water overnight. The peas looked big and heavy with water, and I was sure that they would exhibit proper pea behavior once stewed: melt into nothingness. But no, no they didn’t.

My mom has explained this in the past as being a problem of brand. But I had bought the brand she said was good, and still the peas did not behave. So I ask you:

  1. Why do split peas sometimes not soften and dissolve properly?

  2. What can be done about this?

  3. Or are peas sometimes just unamenable to good cooking?

I thank you in advance for your experience and wisdom.

2

I use a european-style hand blender. It delumps any sauce.

3

I don’t know how or if this could make a difference, but no split pea soup recipe I’ve ever seen called for soaking the peas overnight. They just get rinsed and cooked. Soaking is required for most types of beans, but not for split peas or lentils.

4

Perhaps they were quite old. Either ancient backstock at the store, or too long on your pantry shelf. Did you toss out the soaking water, and use fresh to cook? Was salt added at the beginning of the cooking process? I’ve read that both of these circumstances can cause dried beans to remain hard, perchance it applies to split peas as well.

5

Yep, fresh to cook and with salt.

I wouldn’t guess the age was bad, but you never know.