Boiled peanuts....it's a Southern thang!

Boiled peanuts are definitely a southern dish --  you either love 'em, or you hate 'em.

One of the sergeants likes boiled peanuts, so I make them for him every now and then, and always make extra just in case other officers like them.

Where I grew up in Tampa, you could find a produce/vegetable stand almost every half-mile or mile in every direction. I miss that here in Charlotte. There would be a big hand-painted sign out front made out of plywood or cardboard that said 'Hot Boiled Peanuts'. If you had a hankering for boiled peanuts, you didn't have to drive far. You would just look for the sign. It was noticeable from the road and you usually knew who made them and who didn't.

One fond (but painful) memory I have is when I was a kid eating boiled peanuts with my best forever girlfriend, Linda. We'd sit and listen to records (remember those) and eat boiled peanuts with an icy cold Pepsi or Coke. Problem was....we both bit our fingernails at the time, and when the salt water hit our poor little chewed-up fingers, it burned. And it burned bad. Real, real bad! But there we'd sit...listening to records, eating peanuts, and blowing on our fingers to keep the pain down.  So funny when I think about that now.

Here's what you need! Not all grocery stores carry 'raw' peanuts -- I buy mine
at Food Lion. They're in the produce section.   

Optional step:  This is one step that I haven't seen in any other recipes, so it's not really necessary, but  I pinch the raw peanut open at the top before soaking. I just think the peanuts taste better and the salt water gets in there good.  It does take a little extra time (equivalent to snapping beans), so it's up to you. If you have a bunch to do, you might want to bypass this step or bypass it altogether. 

Tear the little strings off if you find any.  

A weighted plate helps to keep the peanuts under water (they float).
At least in the beginning.  

This is my 'test' bowl. After about 4 hours cooking, start sampling. Sometimes
I start sooner. None of these past the test, but they were still good. Add more salt if needed.

 Sure does make a mess!

Ready for delivery to my sweet officers in the South Division!

Boiled Peanuts

1 package Raw Jumbo Peanuts (1 lb. 8 oz. is what I used)

1/2 c. salt (I have used both table salt and kosher salt - both work well)

• Rinse your peanuts. I poured my peanuts in my stock pot, covered with warm water, and swished around for a minute. Then drained in a colander. 
• Refill the stock with warm water and add 1/2 cup of salt.  Stir well.   
• Add your rinsed peanuts and put a weighted plate on top to keep the peanuts under water (they float), cover and let soak overnight. I left mine on the stove to soak.  
• After soaking overnight, cover stock pot and cook for about 6 hours and at low boil. Keep an eye on the water level and add more water as needed. Start sampling after about 4 hours and add more salt if needed.  

Note: I have soaked the peanuts overnight (and not), and don't think there is much of a difference in the end result. The plus side to soaking overnight is all the prep work is now done and all you need to do is cook them.  

Enjoy! ♥