Boiled Peanuts

Photo courtesy: Burgin Matthews

I absolutely love boiled peanuts. I took to them when we were staying with my wife's aunt near Tampa, Florida and she made us stop one day for some. I was driving but the two women opened and fed boiled peanuts to me all the way back home from the beach.

In the South you are bound to find more than a few roadside stands offering this delicacy. Much like BBQ joints if the places that sell them look respectable then the peanuts may not be the best. To me the art of advertising these boiled goobers is almost as impressive as the taste of them. Often you'll see spraypainted signs of "Hot Boiled P-Nuts". (Check out this gallery by Lady Muleskinner Press)

They're salty and can be Cajun-spiced. They have an interesting texture that can take a bit of getting used to but I find them to be a very satisfying snack. You can buy them preboiled in cans and bags but if you are lucky enough to live near something like Birmingham's Peanut Depot you can pick them up and boil them yourself. You can even find bags of raw peanuts (sometimes called green peanuts) in bags at your local grocer. I've seen recipes that involve a crock pot and 24 hours of cooking time on low, but I find that doing them overnight on high often does the trick.

I think they would be a great addition to a football buffet or just a part of a back yard cookout.

Have you tried 'em? Do you like 'em? How do you cook 'em? Let us know in the comments.

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Authors note: I discovered Lady Muleskinner Press from a Magic City Post interview. I invite you to read the interview and check out the site for yourself.