Easy Southern Cooking

Boiled Peanuts and Cajun Boiled Peanuts

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Boiled Peanuts Boiled peanuts are a southern favorite.  For me, they evoke memories of my extended family sitting around my grandmothers front porch, sharing a big bowl of freshly boiled peanuts.  Eat them freshly boiled, or if you can stand it, they are even better after sitting a while for all the salty flavor to seep into the shells.  Store in the refrigerator or freezer.  2 pounds fresh green peanuts, see below 3 T salt or to taste Wash the peanuts well.  Place them in a large pot and add enough water to cover well.  Add the salt and stir. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hours, adding water as needed to keep covered. After 3 hours, if you can wait that long, test a peanut for doneness:  Remove and cool briefly, then taste.  Peanuts should be soft, not crunchy or hard.  Continue to boil and test until done.  Cajun Boiled Peanuts Add a jalapeno pepper to the above recipe before cooking. (With seeds for very spicy, no seeds for milder spice.)

Boiled peanuts should be mushy. I am often asked why the peanuts didn't come out mushy even though they cooked all day. The answer lies in using GREEN peanuts, which is different from RAW peanuts. Green peanuts are fresh. Raw peanuts have been dried to preserve them, but have not been cooked. Roasted peanuts, of course have been cooked. Unfortunately, you can only get raw peanuts in season at the end of the summer. If you desire boiled peanuts at other times of the year, like I do, then go ahead and use the raw peanuts, but be aware that they will never get quite soft. I usually put the raw peanuts in the crockpot with the salt and water, then let it cook overnight. If you like your peanuts spicy or cajun style, you can a jalapeno pepper to the pot. (With seeds for very hot, no seeds for milder flavor.)