"Bold" and Daring Peanuts
If you heard a southerner talking about their "bold" peanuts, you might think they meant legumes that were reckless, adventurous, and daring! But if you take a quick look at any roadside stand and you'll see that what they are really referring to (with a southern accent) is a favorite summer snack of boiled peanuts.

If you are not living in the South and don't have access to the plethora of roadside stands selling boiled peanuts, you might be wondering....Can I make this tasty southern treat at home? Yep, and here's how you do it. (How's that for an intro to the recipe?)
First, of all, you need GREEN PEANUTS. These are actually fresh peanuts right out of the ground and not to be confused with the bags of raw peanuts already packaged in the grocery store.
Green Peanuts from the ground...

Raw peanuts from the grocery store...

Confusing, right??? "Green" peanuts are fresh from the ground and yes, technically they are raw. But "raw" peanuts are not fresh and have been dried but not roasted. Roasted peanuts have been roasted and salted. They are hard and crunchy. Green peanuts have a lot of moisture in them and don't rattle when you shake them. Raw and roasted peanuts rattle! There will be a test on this later.
I cut a green peanut in half and you can see that it looks like English peas in a pod.

Here is a comparison of green peanuts, raw peanuts, and roasted peanuts.



I had a friend once who invited me over for a party. She boasted that her husband made the "best boiled peanuts around." I was thinking "yeah, and how hard is it to boil a nut?" Well, I went to the party and indeed his boiled peanuts were the hit of the party. The secret is the green peanut. Some recipes will tell you that you can use the "raw" peanuts, but the taste and texture just isn't the same. For today's batch, I found green peanuts at the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur. I would have taken pictures to show you the Farmer's Market but no cameras are allowed. Check out their website or better yet, go visit!
If you, too, want to be the hit of the party, here is how to make "Bold and Daring Peanuts."
Boiled Peanuts
2 pounds green peanuts
1 1/2 gallons water
3/4 cup salt
Wash and trim peanuts. Boil in salted water for 2 - 3 hours. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.
First, sort through the peanuts. Wash them and trim the roots.

Second, heat your water. I used about 1 1/2 gallons of water and 3/4 cup salt.

Third, you need to keep the peanuts in the boiling water. Not that they are going to leap out like a lobster or something, but you need to keep them submerged in the water. I used my steamer pan to keep them from floating to the top. Some people use plates with a rock on the top and I even heard of one family that used a brick lovingly passed down from one generation to the next. Forget Granny's china and go for the peanut brick!!

My steamer pan on top of the pot.

I put the lid back on the pot and then checked it and added water as necessary. A few hours later they were done and ready to ladle into jars for serving.

Some say that you have to acquire a taste for boiled peanuts. Now that you know how to make them, you can start "aquiring." They are really good...warm, soft, and salty.

If you are not living in the South and don't have access to the plethora of roadside stands selling boiled peanuts, you might be wondering....Can I make this tasty southern treat at home? Yep, and here's how you do it. (How's that for an intro to the recipe?)
First, of all, you need GREEN PEANUTS. These are actually fresh peanuts right out of the ground and not to be confused with the bags of raw peanuts already packaged in the grocery store.
Green Peanuts from the ground...

Raw peanuts from the grocery store...

Confusing, right??? "Green" peanuts are fresh from the ground and yes, technically they are raw. But "raw" peanuts are not fresh and have been dried but not roasted. Roasted peanuts have been roasted and salted. They are hard and crunchy. Green peanuts have a lot of moisture in them and don't rattle when you shake them. Raw and roasted peanuts rattle! There will be a test on this later.
I cut a green peanut in half and you can see that it looks like English peas in a pod.

Here is a comparison of green peanuts, raw peanuts, and roasted peanuts.



I had a friend once who invited me over for a party. She boasted that her husband made the "best boiled peanuts around." I was thinking "yeah, and how hard is it to boil a nut?" Well, I went to the party and indeed his boiled peanuts were the hit of the party. The secret is the green peanut. Some recipes will tell you that you can use the "raw" peanuts, but the taste and texture just isn't the same. For today's batch, I found green peanuts at the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur. I would have taken pictures to show you the Farmer's Market but no cameras are allowed. Check out their website or better yet, go visit!
If you, too, want to be the hit of the party, here is how to make "Bold and Daring Peanuts."
Boiled Peanuts
2 pounds green peanuts
1 1/2 gallons water
3/4 cup salt
Wash and trim peanuts. Boil in salted water for 2 - 3 hours. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.
First, sort through the peanuts. Wash them and trim the roots.

Second, heat your water. I used about 1 1/2 gallons of water and 3/4 cup salt.

Third, you need to keep the peanuts in the boiling water. Not that they are going to leap out like a lobster or something, but you need to keep them submerged in the water. I used my steamer pan to keep them from floating to the top. Some people use plates with a rock on the top and I even heard of one family that used a brick lovingly passed down from one generation to the next. Forget Granny's china and go for the peanut brick!!

My steamer pan on top of the pot.

I put the lid back on the pot and then checked it and added water as necessary. A few hours later they were done and ready to ladle into jars for serving.

Some say that you have to acquire a taste for boiled peanuts. Now that you know how to make them, you can start "aquiring." They are really good...warm, soft, and salty.





Comments