Boiled Peanuts

[Bill Turner]

I developed a taste for boiled peanuts during my stay in South Carolina. Everytime I pass through Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and SC I'm on the look for the road side stands selling these deligtful little morsals. You can't find them in Texas, so I would wait until I hit the road to satisfy my taste buds. No more. I recently stumbled on a recipe I would like to share. It is simple and easy. Just keep and eye on it and add hot water and salt when needed.

2 Pounds raw peanuts in shell
1/2 cup pickling salt
water to cover in large pot

Rinse the peanuts in your pot with cold water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes. Pour off water and add hot water to cover. Add salt and stir until well blended. Bring to boil on medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cover. About every thirty minutes check peanuts and stir. Add additional hot water as needed along with a little more salt. Boil for about three hours or until peanuts reach the desired degree of doneness. When done to your liking, turn the heat off and let peanuts set in brine to soak in salt.The longer they remain in brine the saltier they get. Don't overdue it. I fixed my first batch Sunday afternoon. They turned out just perfect. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

[Keener]

Another, lazier, way to make boiled peanuts:

Raw peanuts
1/2 cup regular salt
Crock pot

Put peanuts in the crock pot.
Pour in salt
Pour water over the peanuts and salt until it gets to the top of the crock pot.
Put the lid on crock pot, turn on "low"
Check 'em in the morning.

Enjoy!

[Al Snow]

Here's another tip:  green peanuts are much better than dried ones.  Also, boiled goobers freeze well.  Just take 'em out of the freezer and drop in boiling water for a few minutes to heat them.

[Bill Turner]

Thanks Al. I've heard that about the green peanuts; just never been in a peanut field at the right time to get the little devils. Thanks also for the tip about thawing out the frozen morsals. Just put some in the freezer this morning. Will definitely give your technique a try.

[Matt E]

I love boiled peanuts! I never had any that I didn't like. Have you tried boiled soybeans? These are delicious as well. This is a Japanese treat that you will enjoy.

[Bill Turner]

Matt your like me. Not hard to please. Sent you an e-mail. Try these peanuts. They are good. I havn't found a Texan who like the things. Just means I don't have to share. Course my friends from the Carolina's, Georgia, Alabama and Lousiana will eat the things and drink my beer as well.

[Matt E]

Hard to please? Those things are delicious ! It has nothing to do with pleasing anyone if they don't like them , they are sick.If I get a chance to venture your way. Just ice the beer down and put the peanut on the stove!  

[ber643]

Goo-ood stuff - no doubt about it. First time They were offered to me (as a young teen, Marine from the North), everyone in the Southern home I was in was gobbling them down, so I was not to be left out and have always been willing to try any new food - at least once. I started eating them and thought to myself, "Why, these darned fools are eating rotten peanuts ... but they don't taste rotten .... I guess I can fake it awhile ... they don't taste bad at all ... durn, these things are good!" That's why I never turn new food down - I might miss something good    

[Liquid Amber]

Al Snow, you da' man!  Right on about peanuts.  Being a Jawga boy and having spend considerable time in peanut country, picking the peanut raw at its peak, just prior to diggin'.....makes the best boiled peanut.  Most Juke Joints in Jawga peanut country provide boiled peanuts...increases the consumption of fluids, if you know what I mean.

You right once more about freezing boiled peanuts.  I spent 7 years in Douglas, Ga.[1972-1979] and annually put up a year's supply of boiled peanuts in quart bags for the freezer.  My three children would get out a bag, dump in boiling water for a moment of two, strain, and enjoy boiled peanuts any time of the year.  The peanuts were a substitute for candy.  

The only drawback was they hated to see me driving up with a truck full of peanut vines...they loved to eat'um, but hated to pick'um off the vines.  It take a weekend with two big pots on gas burners going full speed to put up a winter's supply.  I won't mention how many Miller ponies it took.  

[Al Snow]

LA, I can relate to the way your children reacted to seeing a truck load of vines arriving.  My grandfather grew peanuts for sale at his country store.  I spent many a long day picking off peanuts on the front porch and washing them in a "foot tub" at the faucet.  Sometimes half the floor space in the store was covered with newspaper and goobers spread out to dry.

Of course, his mules loved "pickin' time," because they got the vines!

[Joey Ward]

If your interested in something a tad different, take the recipies above and throw in a bag of crab boil.

And cuz I like it really hot, sometimes I'll add a small bottle of tobassco to the mix. Or Texas Pete.

[Al Snow]

Dang, that sounds mighty good, Cuz.  I'm gonna try some this year.

[Bill Turner]

OK fella's. Next batch I make I'll throw in the crab boil and a little hot sauce. If its to hot I'll drink a few more cold ones. Heck, that beginning to sound prtty good to me about now.

[Pat B]

If you're too impatient to wait for them to cook, try a little baking soda to the water first. It will reduce the cooking time.    Pat

[Bill Turner]

TTT

[The BushMaster]

Take those same raw peanuts, salt and water, and place them in a pressure cooker for about an hour under 10 pounds of pressure.  That's the quickest way I know of.  They'll turn out nice!

[robtattoo]

Okay, now this is confusing me all to hell! When you say peanuts in the shell, do you mean the hard shell, with 2 nuts in it, or just the red skins? Do you shell 'em before you eat 'em? Don't th shells go soggy & mushy? Do you eat 'em hot or cold?

Us limeys need to know these things!!
I reeeeally wanna try this!

[Al Snow]

Rob, they're boiled inside the hard outer shell, which is removed before eating the nuts inside.  The nuts themselves get soft.  The outer shell softens a little, but not enough to eat it (except the small, immature ones).

Hot, cold, even frozen....they taste great!

[Tom P]

A co-worker introduced them to me a couple of years ago he was a Florida native. The ones he gave to me were from a can that he had picked up at a grocery store when he was home on a visit, now every time he goes back he has to pick me up some I love them. He said the fresh boiled ones are even better.

[Bill Turner]

If you like the ones in the can you'll love the fresh boiled variety.