Boiled Peanuts

I adore boiled peanuts. They’re salty, spicy, delicious, and a bit of a litmus test. You say you don’t like them? Then you must not be from around here.

I can accept that boiled peanuts aren’t a universal favorite, I guess, but why are some people so dismissive of them? I mean they’re nowhere near as polarizing as salmon croquettes, they present no biological taste weirdness like cilantro, and they’re certainly not as culturally contested as that whole crawfish thing. I can only assume that most people who turn their noses up at boiled peanuts have never had any.

To those of us who know and therefore love them, boiled peanuts are proof of a higher power. Consider the way the beginning of the peanut harvest and the start of college football season line up ALMOST EXACTLY. Do you really think that sort of thing is mere coincidence?

And what about all those times you were driving around in the middle of nowhere, feeling a little peckish, then lo and behold there’s a hand-lettered sign proclaiming your very salvation: Boiled Peanuts. (Or, Boilt P-nuts, depending.) My guardian angel may not have wings, but he does have holey overalls and a dusty 1973 F-series truck.

And then there’s this. According to the Peanut Institute (which is the research arm of the ever-venerable American Peanut Council):

Q. Are boiled peanuts healthy?

A. In fact, boiled peanuts have nearly four times the number of antioxidants found in other kinds of peanuts. These naturally-occurring nutrients have been linked to numerous health benefits, including cancer prevention, reduced inflammation and prevention against cardiovascular diseases. (Emphasis theirs.)

Hello?!? Boiled peanuts are HEALTH FOOD, people. Why, that’s Providence by its very definition!

So one makes boiled peanuts using green peanuts, which you find in large grocery stores or farmer’s markets where peanuts grow. Green peanuts are not only raw, but they’re freshly dug. (Hence that whole seasonal thing.) Note that when you buy green peanuts, you need to refrigerate them until ready to boil. You can keep them about a week, but then you need to boil them. Sometimes you can find green peanuts loose, other times they’re bagged:

That bag above is ⅛ of a bushel. It also says it yields 6 lbs. of boiled peanuts–of course that’s after they are good and waterlogged. At my house, the bag above is two batches unless I get the really big stockpot out. As a public service to you, dear reader, I used the whole bag, but cooked them two ways. I boiled half of them on the stovetop and I put the rest in a slow cooker. I needed to know if there was a difference.

The short answer is no. Both batches were good, and we couldn’t tell them apart. And did you know that you can FREEZE them????

Boiled Peanuts (Slow Cooker and/or Stovetop)

2 lbs. green peanuts, more or less
Scant ½ cup kosher salt (even less if it’s regular table salt)
Water to cover the peanuts by a couple of inches
1 T. your favorite hot sauce, or to taste
1 T. smoked paprika
3 T. Worcestershire sauce

Put all ingredients into your cooking vessel of choice. Stir. The peanuts will float, so plan to stir every so often as they cook.

For the stovetop: Bring the pot to a boil, turn to a steady simmer (medium low on my stove), cover, and cook for 2 ½ to 3 three hours, testing for doneness starting at about hour 2. This is the time to adjust seasoning if needed.

For a slow cooker: Cover and cook on low for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. (Yes. 24 hours.) Check for seasoning about 20 hours in, and adjust if necessary.

In either case, letting the peanuts cool in the cooking liquid will give you a more robust flavor.

To freeze: Allow the peanuts to cool in their liquid. Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooled boiled peanuts to a zipper freezer bag, force out any extra air, and seal. Freeze for up to six months.