Southern Boiled Peanuts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to soak raw peanuts before boiling? ›

Use a large dinner plate to help submerge the floating peanuts. Soak peanuts 8 hours or overnight. (This step saves a little time boiling, but if you don't have the luxury of soaking time, you can skip it.)

But most agree that the practice of boiling peanuts originated in Africa and was introduced to American Southern culture by slaves, as the South is where the peanut crop flourished. Boiling was a clever and delicious way to enjoy the fresh-harvested or “green” peanuts that were not yet dry enough to roast.

Just make sure you add enough to flavor the cooking liquid. If you can't taste it in the liquid, then you won't taste it in the peanuts. 4. Add vinegar for depth of flavor – Much like adding spices and seasonings, adding vinegar to your boiled peanuts provides another layer of flavor.

Boil for 2 to 3 hours or longer (some boil their peanuts all day), until peanuts reach desired level of softness.

Once the peanuts have boiled for three hours (one hour for green peanuts), sample them to check their texture and salinity. Remove a peanut, and when it is cool enough to handle, crack open its shell and taste the kernel, slurping some brine with it. If the peanut crunches, it should be cooked further.

The peanut was known throughout the South as a goober pea. The word goober comes from the Congo name for peanuts – nguba. Slaves coming to North America from Africa brought peanuts with them.

History. The combination is believed to have developed in the South during the 1920s, as a snack for blue-collar workers that did not require them to wash their hands. It quickly became popular as a summer snack, especially in rural areas. The snack became an internet trend in 2018.

Boiled peanuts can get slimy if they're overcooked or sit in the brine for too long.

Dried peanuts may require boiling up to 24 hours until they soften. If your water is hard, full of minerals, or you are boiling at high altitude, then your boiling times for dried peanuts may be greater than 24 hours.

Why are boiled peanuts good for you? ›

Nutritious and packed with antioxidants, boiled peanuts are an excellent source of energy. “A half cup of boiled peanuts contains approximately 286 calories with no cholesterol. Vitamins E and B, which are crucial for the growth and development of muscles and organs, are also present in boiled peanuts.

Q: Do you have to cook Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts? ANSWER: Of course not. They're already cooked (boiled) and ready to savor right out of the can. But you can heat them if you'd like.

In other parts of the country, millions of people snack on roasted peanuts and spread peanut butter on their sandwiches. But after all these years, for some reason, boiled peanuts remain almost exclusively a Southern thing.

Boiled Peanuts: From Necessity to Southern Delicacy

But good ideas have a way of spreading and, today, Southerners know how great boiled peanuts are. Not only are boiled peanuts called “the caviar of the South,” but they are also the official state snack of South Carolina.

Raw peanuts can be boiled in a pot, a pressure cooker, or a slow cooker. Green peanuts need at least 1 hour of boiling up to 4 hours. Raw, dried peanuts require more boiling, up to 24 hours in a slow cooker, or an open pot. A pressure cooker boils dried peanuts much faster, especially at high altitude.

Wash raw peanuts thoroughly in cool water; then soak in cool clean water for about 30 minutes before cooking. 2. Put peanuts in a pot and cover completely with water. Figure 1 cup of salt per gallon of water - or salt to taste.

Add salt and cover the peanuts with filtered water.

The important thing is to completely cover the peanuts so they can fully soak. It's fine to leave the salt out of the soaking solution if you're planning on a really quick soak where the peanuts don't actually sprout.