Fresh Boiled Peanuts
Boiled peanuts are a tasty southern treat, and they’re the official state snack of South Carolina. When peanuts are pulled out of the ground and immediately thrown into a big pot for boiling, they’re at their most delicious. That’s why the ones you find at farms and roadside stands during the summer and early fall taste so much better than at other times of the year.
If you prefer to make your own boiled peanuts, it’s the simplest thing in the world. If you can boil water, you can make boiled peanuts. The key to perfect peanuts is using green peanuts. That means it’s a raw peanut fresh from the field that hasn’t been dried yet.
Here’s the basic recipe
2-3 pounds of green peanuts
About ½ cup salt, depending on how salty you like your peanuts
Water
Wash the peanuts and place them in a large pot. Cover (generously) with water. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Cook for one to two hours.
You can easily adapt this recipe to cook any amount of peanuts. Just increase, or decrease, the amount of water and salt.
They also freeze well, so you can buy in bulk during the season and then just put them in the freezer to enjoy all year round. Boil them for a few minutes, then drain and cool before placing in freezer bags. Or you can prepare a large batch of boiled peanuts and package them in freezer bags to use later.
Recipe by Gwen Fowler