Good Luck Black-eyed Peas

2 or 3 slices slab bacon, cut up, or pieces of cooked ham
1 large onion, very finely chopped
4 (14 to 16 ounce) cans black-eyed peas
2 to 3 jalapenos, sliced (optional)

Cook bacon in 2-qt saucepan, then saute onion in drippings. Drain liquid from peas into pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly over very low heat until most of the liquid evaporates. Add peas. If desired, add jalapenos. Remove from heat when peas are warm.

Why are they considered to be "good-luck" and eaten on New Years: These "good luck" traditions date back to the U.S. Civil War. Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General William Tecumseh Sherman, would typically strip the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock and destroy whatever they couldn't carry away. At that time, Northerners considered "field peas" and corn suitable only for animal fodder, and as a result didn't steal or destroy these humble foods. Many Southerners survived as a result of this mistake.