Hot Boiled Peanuts
I remember being a kid and stopping on the side of the road to get my mom a bag of hot boiled peanuts. I loved the smell, but as a kid I thought they were disgusting! Who would want a slimy peanut? I guess it is just a kid thing, because now I love the little boogers! Well, not all kids hate them. 2 out of 3 in my house love them. The other doesn’t eat much of anything besides hot dogs and BBQ chips, so we will let it go. 🙂
There are not too many road side stands in the South that don’t sell this yummy snack! They all claim theirs are the best, and they all taste about the same. They are usually served in a grocery bag, or a paper bag. Yes, they can make a mess. No, you don’t eat the shells. They are hot, juicy, and delicious. OH, and I am one of those purests who doesn’t believe in eating them out of a can! Sorry guys!
You need green peanuts to make hot boiled peanuts. What is a green peanut? A raw peanut. That’s all! You can get them at the farmers market, or road side stand. You can even buy them at Publix in a bag marked raw peanuts! That is the cheapest and easiest way I have found. Any place you find them is OK by me. Just get some peanuts, salt, and maybe a jalapeno and you will have your own pot full of goodness in no time!
Hot Boiled Peanuts
Hot Boiled Peanuts Printable Version
- 1 lb Green Peanuts (Raw Peanuts)
- 1 cup table salt
- 1 jalapeno (optional)
- Water to cover
Directions
Get a large pot and toss in the peanuts and the salt (Jalapeno too if you feel like it). Cover with water.
The Peanuts will float, so don’t panic!
Cover pot and cook on medium heat until it reaches a boil. Then turn down to simmer. Allow these to cook all day. SERIOUSLY!
After at least 6-8 hours you can check them and see if they are the texture you like.
You may have to add more water to the pot at some point depending on how tight fitting your lid is.
When you do a taste test, if they are too salty, you can add more water to dilute them.
If they aren’t salty enough, just toss a little more in.
Serve with a bowl for the shells! ENJOY!
For those of you new to the whole experience. Let me break it down for you!
- We don’t eat these cold! They are HOT boiled peanuts! 🙂
- Put the whole peanut shell and all in your mouth! (It’s been boiled don’t worry!)
- Crack the shell with your teeth and suck all the juice from the inside (Nobody said this would be low in sodium!)
- Pull the shell out and enjoy the yummy peanuts inside.
- Toss the shell and repeat!
I have cooked them in a crock pot; but be very careful about the amount of salt you add. With my first try they were too salty, but tried again and lowered the amount of salt. To me the best way is a very large pot with a lot of water and salt to your taste.