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Recipes · Comfort

Boiled Peanuts - Several Recipes

Boiled peanuts are popular in many places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather raw or “green” ones are used. “Raw” denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size, but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. After boiling they take on a strong salty taste and become softer with the length of cooking, somewhat resembling a pea or bean, to which they are related. The most flavorful peanuts for boiling, are the Valencia type. These are preferred in the United States, being grown in gardens and small patches throughout the South. Green Virginia type peanuts are also sometimes used – these do have larger kernels, but not as good of a flavor. Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of southern culture and cuisine. On May 1, 2006, Gov. Mark Sanford signed a bill, H.4585, making boiled peanuts the official snack food of South Carolina. My Personal Experiences: I was first introduced to boiled peanuts around 1991 in Beaufort, SC. I went to a local bar one night for a beer and saw a zip-lock baggie of “boiled peanuts” sitting on the counter. So, for $1.00, I bought a bag. After eating the first one, I threw the bag out. They were mushy, salty, legume tasting, and I didn’t care for them. About a week later, while having a beer at the same bar, I decided to try them again. I ended up eating three bags, I was hooked! Throughout the years, I have had boiled peanuts all over the south and I have found that depending on where you are, the recipes can be quite different.

Comfort · Crock Pot · Instant Pot · Southern Cookin

Boiled Peanuts - Several Recipes
View source — Swanfarms.com ↗

Boiled peanuts are popular in many places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather raw or “green” ones are used. “Raw” denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size, but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. After boiling they take on a strong salty taste and become softer with the length of cooking, somewhat resembling a pea or bean, to which they are related. The most flavorful peanuts for boiling, are the Valencia type. These are preferred in the United States, being grown in gardens and small patches throughout the South. Green Virginia type peanuts are also sometimes used – these do have larger kernels, but not as good of a flavor.

Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of southern culture and cuisine.

On May 1, 2006, Gov. Mark Sanford signed a bill, H.4585, making boiled peanuts the official snack food of South Carolina.

My Personal Experiences:

I was first introduced to boiled peanuts around 1991 in Beaufort, SC. I went to a local bar one night for a beer and saw a zip-lock baggie of “boiled peanuts” sitting on the counter. So, for $1.00, I bought a bag. After eating the first one, I threw the bag out. They were mushy, salty, legume tasting, and I didn’t care for them.

About a week later, while having a beer at the same bar, I decided to try them again. I ended up eating three bags, I was hooked!

Throughout the years, I have had boiled peanuts all over the south and I have found that depending on where you are, the recipes can be quite different.

Ingredients

South Carolina Style

  • 2 lbs raw green peanuts
  • 1/2 Cup Coarse Sea salt

Alabama Style

  • 2 lbs raw green peanuts
  • 1 large orange quartered
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1/2 Cup Coarse Sea salt
  • 1 bag crab boil (I use 1 Cup of Zatarain’s pro boil)

Directions

South Carolina Style

  1. Put about 2 pounds Raw peanuts into a pot with enough water to completely cover and then add about 1/2 cup salt (I use Kosher). Now, depending on how old your peanuts are, let them boil for about 4 to 5 hours. Use a spoon to take one out and check it every 15 minutes or so. The peanut should be soft and full of flavor. When the peanuts are done, turn off the heat and let them sit for another hour or so to pick up some of the salty flavor of the boiling water. You can pull them out of the water and pack into baggies when they are salty enough for your taste.

Alabama Style

  1. In Alabama, I found what I consider to be the best recipe I have ever had, YUMMY!!!! It has taken a while, but this recipe is pretty darn close.

Put all ingredients into a pot and cook as above.

  1. The further you get towards Louisiana, the more you find spicy boiled peanuts. A good Cajun spicy peanut recipe is to add cayenne pepper and a few jalapenos to the above recipe. Experiment with different spices and you’ll come up with some great snacks!!!

Traditional Cooking

  1. Traditionally, boiled peanuts are boiled in a large (20 – 30 gallon) pot over a turkey fryer stand fueled by a propane bottle OUTSIDE. You can easily do a 50 pound bag of peanuts this way. But, if you don’t want to make quite so much or you don’t want to keep a pot on the stove for 4 hours, I have found a very simple way to get great boiled peanuts with little fuss…. A crockpot!

Crockpot Cooking

  1. A large crockpot will hold about 2 lbs of peanuts. It will take a bit longer though; in my experience about 12 hours or so. Just remember to check them every hour or two and add more water as necessary.
  2. Instant Pot Cooking:
  3. Wash peanuts to remove any dirt. Drain well.

Add washed and drained peanuts inside the pot.

  1. Fill with up to 10 cups water (cover peanuts) depending on size of Instant Pot

Add salt and seasonings.

  1. Give it a stir to mix salt and pepper flakes evenly into water.

Cover the lid.

  1. Select PRESSURE COOK mode and adjust timer to 75 minutes and (do quick pressure release.?)
  2. Once cooking time is done, allow it for 5 minutes NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE.
  3. Carefully turn pressure valve to VENTING positing for manual release of pressure.

Notes

Difference Between Green Peanut & Raw Peanuts

Green peanuts aren’t exactly what they sound like! They aren’t really ‘green’. They are brown on the outside (the outer shell) and white/baby pinkish on the side (the peanut inside). A green peanut is a term to used to describe newly harvested Peanuts.

“Green” in this case means they are raw, uncooked,un roasted fresh peanuts. Pretty much all peanuts you find on streets of Indian markets are green peanuts. This recipe calls for green peanut.

Raw peanuts also refers to uncooked, un roasted nuts. Raw peanuts is the tern used to describe nuts that are dried or dehydrated to bring down the moisture in to for longer storage.

If using raw peanuts make sure to soak in water overnight along with shell and then use it to boil.

How Long to Boil Peanuts

If you use green peanuts you need to boil peanuts for 20-25 minutes.

If you will have a hard time finding green peanuts. You could soak raw peanuts overnight and cook for 40 minutes. Alternatively you can dump peanuts into your instant pot along with gallons of water and generous salt and cook for 80 minutes.