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Southern boiled peanuts
Soft, salty peanuts simmered in their shells
Boiled peanuts are sold steaming from roadside stands and petrol stations all along the back roads of South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, ladled into paper bags in late summer when the green peanut harvest comes in. Raw peanuts are simmered for hours in heavily salted water until soft as cooked beans, salty and earthy. A Cajun-spiced version with chilli is popular too. Chef's tip: taste a peanut every hour; they are done when the kernel is completely soft with no crunch.
- Total time
- 245 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 16 ¾ cups water
- 3 ½ oz salt
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakesopt
- 2 bay leavesopt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rinse the 2 lb raw peanuts in their shells (green or dried) well in a colander, rubbing off any soil.
5 minStep 2: Put them in a large pot with the 16 ¾ cups water, 3 ½ oz salt, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes and 2 bay leaves. Weigh them down with a heatproof plate, as they float.
3 minStep 3: Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3–4 hours for green peanuts (6–8 for dried), topping up with hot water to keep them covered. A common mistake is stopping too soon, leaving them crunchy.
240 minStep 4: Turn off the heat and leave in the brine for 1 hour to soak up more salt. Drain and eat warm, cracking open the shells. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does southern boiled peanuts take?
- About 245 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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