My mom made the best split pea soup. She waited till we had ham and then she used the left over bone with some ham left on it. She would put the hame bone in a dutch oven and add diced onion, garlic, salt&pepper, and dried split peas. (2 small or 1 larger bag)cover with water and let simmer about 1 to 2 hrs. Remove the bone and let cool, remove meat from bone and dice up. add back to soup and simmer till peas dissolve and soup thickens. Very yummy with grilled cheese on a cold evening! (I have made it with bacon ends also) :thumbup: