BOILED PEANUTS

[BostonTparty]

Can some one explain to me the deal with boiled peanuts? I read a couple of recipes the other day and they sounded pretty good. One was cooked in a slow cooker with Cajun spices and the other one was cooked on the stovetop with just salt water. When they are done what consistency are they supposed to be? Hard like a roasted peanut or soft and squishy and after you drain them do you dry them out or are they wet ? When they are boiled in their shells I can't imagine all the liquid drains out of them.

[BostonTparty]

I have another question. I can buy raw peanuts in the shell can I make boiled peanuts with them or do you need "green" peanuts which I assume means fresh ?

[suzigirl]

Where I am from the term is inerchangable. I use whichever I can find, but that is me.

[BostonTparty]

I finally got around to trying the canned boiled nuts last night. The person who said they were addictive , you were right. I ate the entire can myself. I would eat a couple, walk away, come back and eat a few more. When I had eaten about 3/4 of the can I figured I might just as well eat them all.. Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry. Now I might have to buy some raw peanuts and try to make them myself. We might get 15 inches of snow this weekend so I might be inside for a while

[chloebell]

So glad you like them!!!! If you liked them in the can, you will LOVE them homemade. Wish you were where they sold them road side. Down here in the South, they're almost everywhere. That's how I buy them, as it's easier than making them myself. Well, not easier, just quicker. Plus, I get instant peanuts instead of waiting hours for them to cook. ;)

Ever heard of the Lee Brothers? Check out their website.

http://www.boiledpeanuts.com/index2.html

[djdragan]

Haven't tried canned boiled nuts before, and we don't get any fresh ones where I live in Canada. I have found bags of frozen boiled nuts in one of the asian supermarkets here. pop them in the mocrowave for a minute and they are ready to eat. They are in shells, are the canned ones shelled already?

[suzigirl]

No. They are shell on and in a salt brine. The frozen are better than the canned but the canned sure will do in a pinch

[TroyTempest]

Here's a link to another old thread
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/788856

[ccat3]

Any recs on where to find good green peanuts in the Tampa area, other than Publix?

[chloebell]

If there's a local farmer's market near you, that would be a good place to start. Maybe someone in Tampa can help you more than I.

[deet13]

You could check the Sanwa Market, on E. Hillsborough (across from the Yummy House).
http://www.sanwafarmersmarket.com/

I've seen the large bags of green peanuts in there, but it's a seasonal item....

[ccat3]

Thank you for the recommendation. They definitely wouldn't be in season now, but I'll check there this fall. In South Georgia they are a staple, but I've had trouble finding green peanuts locally.

[sunshine842]

they're soft and squishy, like oversalted beans.

You eat them right out of the styrofoam cup they serve them in. :)

[Mild Bill]

This is the textbook Pressure Cooker recipe, that's why people say it takes so long, or to stay away from the larger peanuts, etc...

Water, Salt, Cajun Seasonings, and a half hour in the PC....

And you know------- once they're soft, you can pop the peanuts out and toss them into the food processor with Garlic and Tahini to make 'Peanut Hummus!

Insane, eaten with cold crisp Snow Pea Pods as the dipping chips!

[Uncle Bob]

Boiled peanuts freeze well also. When in season I quite often boil 40-50 lbs at a time. Some in plain salted water, but most in Zatarain's Pro Crab Boil.......

[hazelhurst]

Thanks for pointing out that there is a season. I don't go near them except when I find piles of green one, preferably still damp with dirt clinging to them. My father used to buy 50# sacks, load up his "french roaster" (sort of a dutch oven) add half-a box of salt, then as many peanuts as he could get in there. Boil, turn to a simmer and observe awhile and then go play golf, When he got home they were always ready.

As you know, with the good, green ones you can sometimes eat the shell, too.

[BostonTparty]

Thank you for all your suggestions. While I have heard of boiled peanuts I have never seen or tasted them in our northern climes. They sound really good. I am intrigued by the cajun version. Now I have to find the raw peanuts. That may be a trick. Health food store perhaps ?

[chloebell]

You could try your local store in the produce section. Or, I found this link on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Raw-In-Shell-Pe...

The freshest you can get, the better.

[BostonTparty]

Chloebell, you are not going to believe this! I clicked on that link and the company that sells the raw peanuts is about 2 blocks away from where I work in Cambridg, Ma. The even sell prepared boiles peanuts in cans so I can get some idea how they are supposed to come out

[suzigirl]

What a lucky ducky you are. Just a side note... I have never had them in the can that were tender enough for my taste. But grab a can and give them a try. Better to buy a two dollar can then a few pounds of nuts and find out you don't like them. I think that you will like them though.

[chloebell]

That's great!!! I was going to say, beware the can of peanuts. But, you can try to taste the texture of them. I just think fresher is better, as it is with most things.

I can't wait to hear if you like them or not. :)

[BostonTparty]

I just ordered 2 packs. 3 cans cajun and 3 cans plain.
I'll let you know how they are. They were very pleasant to deal with. I will ask them about the raw peanuts because they sell them too

[chloebell]

Awesome! Chime in when you can.

[BostonTparty]

Picked them up yesterday, will try them this weekend and let you know what I think

[suzigirl]

Chloebell is right on. It is simple to make them but it is an investment in your time. When they are done they should have the texture of well cooked beans. I personally don't drain them until I eat them. And everyone is different as to how they like them served. I like them warm and my bf likes them cold. They are truly addictive.

[chloebell]

They are! They don't stay in my frig for very long. My husband likes them with a cold beer. I like them warm too, but I'll take them any way I can get them.

BostonTparty, if you can find green peanuts, those are the best. Jumbo are ok, but sometimes difficult with cooking - and just too darn big.

[suzigirl]

I agree. Avoid the jumbos unless you plan on being there a while cooking.. I also like them any way I can get them. So tasty

[flamale863]

you are so right about the green peanuts...that is the only way they were eaten as boiled peanuts when i was a kid was GREEN...The reason so many people who sell boiled peanuts on the side of the road dont use green is that the price for green is 3 or 4 times what it is for "parched" peanuts...The greens have to be refrigerated after washing because they will sour so that makes shipping more expensive and raises the price considerably,...The greens DO cook faster than parched though....Jumbos are just great but they also cost more...Peanuts are not cheap anymore!!!

[chloebell]

Either way you cook them, it takes a LONG time and A LOT of salt. When done, they should be soft to the bite, not crunchy at all. Yes, drain them. All the liquid does not drain out of the shells.

A lot of people like the Cajun flavor - I'm a purist, love'em plain & salted.

We did have success doing them in a pressure cooker. However you do them, just make sure they are covered completely with water.

[BostonTparty]

Thanks. Do you just dump them in a bowl and have at em ?

[chloebell]

Absolutely! But, after cooking, you need to keep them refrigerated.

I understand you may know this, but I've come across people that do not........NO, you do not eat the shell, just the peanuts!