Anyone cooks with dried split peas? how?

[YogaLite]

Is it ever possible to make them go softer in cooking?
How are they "processed" that they don't soften after 2 hours of cooking after hours of soaking??

I wanted to make soup I remember from childhood and they never softened. I tend to use mostly lentils but why are those split peas so hard?

They’re horrid when they’re not cooked properly!

I usually soak them overnight with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

Then rinse well before adding them to my slow cooker veggies and stock.

After being in the slow cooker for at least 6 hours they’re usually soft.

I always soak them for at least 24 hours before using them, replacing the soaking water with boiling water regularly. I then tend to add them to a slow cooked stew or something to give them lots of extra time to soften.

I agree though, they can be quite hard (I buy them because they're cheap!)

If you presoaked them all correctly, they might just be old. If they're too old, split peas won't soften no matter what you do.

Sounds like they should have softened so that's what I'd guess.

I do them in a pressure cooker

You just follow the instructions on the packet... et voila

Heathen here, i just use "no soak" marrowfats (mushy) peas in veg soup. Oh so creamy when blended up. Not a fan of split peas, far too much faff involved.

Assuming they're not just very old or a particularly tough variety, what works for me is getting the timing right. Before bedtime, put them in big pan. Add cold water to an inch or two over the top. Leave to soak overnight.
In the morning, drain, rinse, and cook: bring to the boil, then leave them at slightly below a rolling boil while doing all the normal morning activities (prob 30-45 mins ish). When cooked, just turn off hob and leave them til you're ready to make dinner later on.
I cook all dried lentils and beans in this way (except red lentils). For added flavour, I add an ancho chilli or two if cooking pinto beans, a kashmiri chilli or two with chick peas.

You could just use red lentils instead if you can't get anything else to work - no soaking required, they only take 15-20 mins to cook.

Thanks guys
So it must be bicarb and possibly boiling water for soaking. I did soak them overnight. Only bought them last week as a change from lentils. It's a bit unreal, they must be more than just dried, they are probably still processed further as the traditionally just dried had never behaved like that.

I actually have a bit of indigestion having eaten them yesterday so the rest will be binned grrrr

Yes, thank you @randonneuse
Will experiment with the rest of the packet but it's back to lentils after that.