Not sure where the best place to put this is... I keep getting an odd skin thing on my index fingers - cracked and rough skin and it itches some. It's pretty unusual for me to get anything like that outside of winter. This has come and gone for the last month/month and a half. Yesterday it had spread to my thumb and middle finger. Looking at it today, I also noticed that the purple from shelling purple hull peas hadn't completely gone away yet (that stuff could be used for dye!). I'm wondering if this is a sensitivity to Southern pea hulls? When I think about it, it seems that this started sometime after shelling purple or black-eyed peas... Anyone hear of this?
Cindy
Odd question about purplehulls and skin reaction?
No, but some purple hulls are notorius for staining fingers,
Thanks FarmerDill - these are pink eyed purple hulls. This morning I watched carefully to see where the hulls touched my fingers as I shelled - this definitely seems to be what's bothering my fingers. Very weird. And yes, purple fingers...
Poor baby! I thought I was the only one that purple Hulls did that too! My granddaddy always said to wash my hands with good ole Lava soap to rid my hands of the stains and itching. Of course Grandma would have a fit , cause she said that soap would ruin my hands! LOL!!! It would however stop the itching right away! ( I think its the tiny minute little hairs on the shells that get under our nails and in the skin of our fingers that cause the itching!)
This could be a mild symptom of an allergic reaction. Consider wearing gloves when shelling to reduce your exposure and building greater sensitivity. There are all levels of allergies to the full gamut of beans and pea varieties, what with soy being the most prevalent. That is the one we are most commonly exposed to.
Eufaula - I did a serious scrub of my fingers and nails with a nail brush after the most recent shelling and that worked great! I used Ivory soap. Good point Laurel - I'm watching to see if there's any more reaction, so far, so good. We shelled 3 pounds of Black Jungle Butter Beans on Sunday and no problems from that. Maybe it's the dye or the little hairs as Eufaula said.