Southern Boiled Peanuts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What if my boiled peanuts are not salty enough? ›

Peanuts should be soft without being mushy, and somewhat salty (they will get saltier as they cool in cooking water). If peanuts aren't salty enough, add more salt to pot, 1/4 cup at a time. When peanuts are cooked, remove pot from heat, and let peanuts cool in pot 1 hour.

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.)

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.

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.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place nuts in a strainer and rinse well with filtered water. Make sure you get all the nuts wet as it is the water that helps the salt to stick. Place rinsed nuts in a bowl and toss well with sea salt.

It is very hard to overcook boiled peanuts. When in doubt, give them a little longer.

Boiled peanuts that are overcooked or left out for too long can become slimy. Make sure to cook until tender (not mushy), and refrigerate any leftovers after serving.

Boil the peanuts for at least three hours. After three hours, take out a peanut and try it – if it's not soft enough, keep boiling until the desired softness is reached. If you like melt-in-your-mouth boiled peanuts, you may prefer to boil them all day.

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.

Why did my boiled peanuts turn black? ›

Aluminum pots blacken when boiling peanuts. Over time this darkening may transfer to the boiled peanuts. Iodized salt. I've never experienced this myself, but some people say that iodized salt causes blackening of boiled peanuts.

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

If the boiled peanuts you had were mushy and difficult to remove from the shells, then they were overcooked. If they were slimy, then they were spoiled. Salt water is not slimy. Fresh boiled peanuts are not slimy.

Some people like to place a plate inside the pot to push the peanuts under the water. In the end, it really doesn't matter. Raw peanuts will absorb the water, and sink when they are ready. Our motto at Boiled Peanut World is "Boiling softens the peanuts, soaking and simmering wets the peanuts, and infuses flavors."

When done, boiled peanuts should have a similar texture to a cooked dry bean. It should hold its shape, but not crunch when bitten. Add more water throughout the cooking process, if needed.

To add salt to already cooked unsalted nuts, you can toss them in a bowl with a small amount of melted butter or oil, then sprinkle salt over them and toss until evenly coated. Alternatively, you can bake them briefly with a bit of salt for a toasted flavor. Adjust salt to taste.

In a large, 5-6 quart, heat safe container, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the peanuts, stirring so that everyone is submerged and coated with the brine. Take a plate or pie pan and set it on top of the floating peanuts to make sure they stay that way. Stir them once every hour over the next 5 hours.

It turns out it's as simple as a high school science class. According to Tom, they begin with raw (unroasted) peanuts which are loaded into 1,000-pound vats called hoppers. Then the hoppers are filled with a simple brine made from water and salt (about 1% to 2% salt by weight—the exact amount is a trade secret).

Too much peanuts intake at one time may even lead to stomach discomfort. Constipation, diarrhoea and bloating are common issues associated with excessive peanuts intake. So, it is recommended to take peanuts in moderate quantities if you are already suffering from stomach related issues.