5 Tips to Make Boiled Peanuts: Road Trip Edition (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my boiled peanuts come out of the shell? ›

It's completely normal for peanuts to stick to the shell after cooking and softening. If this happens, use your fingernail or a small spoon to get the peanut out.

Dried peanuts may require boiling up to 24 hours until they soften. If your water is hard, full of minerals, or you are boiling at high altitude, then your boiling times for dried peanuts may be greater than 24 hours.

Made from sugar, fermented apples, and yeast, the vinegar adds a sweet, tangy flavor to the peanuts. The acid provides balance to the savory spices that have already been added, transforming the peanuts into a well-rounded, flavorful snack with depth. Read ahead to learn how to make the perfect pot of boiled peanuts.

How do you store boiled peanuts? Fresh boiled peanuts should be kept refrigerated and will keep for about 10 days, possibly longer, in the fridge. For longer storage, boiled peanuts should be frozen. Raw dried peanuts, of the sort that we sell with our kits, keep for over four months in a cool, dark, dry spot.

It is very hard to overcook boiled peanuts. When in doubt, give them a little longer.

The truth is, both work great but raw peanuts take more time to soften. Green peanuts are freshly dug and haven't been through a drying process, so their moisture content is already high. It's like boiling fresh beans versus dry. One is quicker to cook than the other but they both taste great in the end.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until peanuts have softened to your preferred consistency, 2 to 3 hours if you were able to soak peanuts, 5 to 6 hours if not. Check peanuts after 2 hours to sample their texture and salinity.

Allow to soak for eight hours or overnight.

If they reach the right texture but aren't salty enough, take them off the heat and let them sit in the brine. Test for saltiness every 10 minutes until they get right. Once they reach the perfect stage, drain the brine. If you leave them sitting in the brine, they will continue getting saltier.

The process of boiling peanuts draws antioxidants from their shells. The boiled peanuts have four times the antioxidants of raw or roasted peanuts. Boiled peanuts have also been studied as a potential way to treat people with peanut allergies since boiling peanuts denatures proteins that trigger allergic reactions.

Why do people soak peanuts in co*ke? ›

The combination is believed to have developed in the South during the 1920s, as a snack for blue-collar workers that did not require them to wash their hands.

The peanut, itself, is soft and tender. Since they are cooked in salty water, they take on a salty taste which compliments their subtle sweet flavor.

There is so much moisture in boiled peanuts that they will spoil and may harbor bacteria if left out at room temperature more than a couple of hours. Boiled peanuts taste great cold, and the refrigerator will keep them fresh for several days (again like leftover peas or beans).

When stored in their shells in an airtight container in the fridge, boiled peanuts will last up to 10 days. You can store them in the cooking liquid or drain them dry. You can also store them in the freezer for several months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Boil for 2 to 3 hours or longer (some boil their peanuts all day), until peanuts reach desired level of softness.

Peanuts in their shells will float initially. Don't worry about this. Some people like to put a smaller pot lid, a too small lid, or heat resistant plate, placed over the boiling peanuts, inside the big pot to push the peanuts under the water.

Soaking peanuts eight hours or overnight cuts the boiling time in half, to as little as two hours.

Boiled peanuts that were not stored refrigerated, or old, spoiled boiled peanuts will become slimy and nasty. Only overcooked boiled peanuts are mushy and hard to remove from the shells.