Introduction
Have you ever eaten black-eyed peas for New Year's? They are a traditional dish eaten for good luck on the holiday—especially in the South. Despite their common name, black-eyed peas are technically a bean (in the legume family). Beans of various types are a major ingredient in dishes served all over the world. In their dried form, they can be stored for years and then soaked in water to restore their soft texture. In this science activity you will explore how the temperature of the water used to rehydrate dried black-eyed peas affects how quickly they become rehydrated—and ready to cook up!