Found: Source for boiled green peanuts

For those who, like me, are enamored of this seasonal regional roadside Southern (Georgia, South Carolina) delicacy, I can highly recommend Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts.

My thoughts and fancies turn this time of year to the soft and salty legume, and I have always been happy with the products from the kind folks at this family-run enterprise. You can get them frozen, ready to heat and eat, packages of peanuts to boil up yourself, and a pantry full of other local foods and cooking utensils.

Cheers,
Wade

Did you see this thread?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=29949#29949

You are in good company, besides me. Nice link. But they say they use dried raw goobers to ship, and have the green ones only available canned. For less $$, and no can, I'd say hit some Viet groceries, get the green ones in the fresh produce section, and boil them yourself (in beer).

Westbrook Market in Westmont has them, almost always.

For those of you who like boiled peanuts, I saw raw peanuts at Fresh Farms on Devon yesterday ($1.79/lb). I don't think they carry it regularly and I can't think of too many places I've seen them.

see also this link

North Water Market/Fresh Farms
2626 W Devon Ave
(773) 764 3557

And for all you "smokers" in the group, I love making smoked peanuts using raw "runners" as they are called. Little olive oil and some chili powder and in the smoke using a vegetable wok. Stir occasionally.

$1.79 is a great price. Chicago Nut Co carries a pretty good selection of raw nuts, but they are pretty pricey.

First, thanks for all the links.

Second, perhaps more of a site topic, why the need for three threads on boiled peanuts...I can see starting a new thread when you didn't know the previous thread existed, but to start a new thread and link to the old seems to just complicate matters for readers.

Now, since this is not a continous thread...folks are advised to heed JeffB's comments about Raw vs. Green peanuts. It is also on the Lee and Co. FAQ, here.

My brother recently purchased a 50lb bag of raw peanuts, the peanuts were very dry and took a long time to cook, as they had to re-hydrate first. The taste was not as pleasant to me as boiled green peanuts, peanuts fresh from the ground...they had a dried bean flavor, rather than a sugar snap pea flavor. Boiled green peanuts are what we used to have when visiting my grandmother in North Carolina. The dried may work in a pinch, but it is not the same.

I can find green peanuts in most of the Asian markets along Argyle, although not consistent, one may have them one week, etc. The peanuts are always rather small and not the jumbos. I would like to get some green jumbos someday...they are in season this time of year down South.

pd

While driving to Lansing on the way to Gayety Ice Cream the other day, I passed a full sized school bus pulled off to the side of the road. It had been completely repainted with primitive rural artwork, with the word "Mississippi" boldly painted over the back door (where it used to say "School Bus"). The passenger side of the bus had been cut away to form a pass through counter and the entire bus was filled floor to ceiling with watermelons...excpt for a small work area for the attendant. There was a sign on the road next to the bus announcing that they had fresh boiled peanuts for sale as well. There were approximately 10 - 12 African Americans in line to purchase the goods. I thought about stopping to take a picture, than it occured to me that I would have probably gotten my assed kicked, or at the minimum gotten arrested by the racial stereotype police if I had tried it. I think the last thing they wanted to see was some fat white guy in an SUV taking their picture buying watermelons from such a vehicle.

The point of tis story is to alert peanut lovers to keep an eye out for this vehicle. I'll bet the peanuts are farm fresh and delicious.

Hi,

Did the bus look remotely like this?



ReneG and I bumped into watermelon market and fresh peanuts from Mississippi on Friday evening. ReneG will report the complete details later today or tomorrow.

Cathy2,

I hope you or ReneG slipped a tracking device on that bus

We're lucky, they have a bricks, mortar and fence location!

Though I agree we do have few photos which look like watermelons gone bad!

I just read Rene's post. That's the bus I saw. I'm very happy that you were able to get pictures. It would have been awkward for me, given the situation.

stevez wrote:There was a sign on the road next to the bus announcing that they had fresh boiled peanuts for sale as well.

If that was indeed the same bus Cathy and I saw, I suspect the sign actually read, Fresh Roasted Peanuts. I specifically asked the woman at Baylor’s if they had boiled peanuts and she said they didn’t bring green peanuts to Chicago.

Rene G wrote:

stevez wrote:There was a sign on the road next to the bus announcing that they had fresh boiled peanuts for sale as well.

If that was indeed the same bus Cathy and I saw, I suspect the sign actually read, Fresh Roasted Peanuts. I specifically asked the woman at Baylor’s if they had boiled peanuts and she said they didn’t bring green peanuts to Chicago.

I don't doubt it. I was driving down the street and witnessed the bus and its tableau while traveling at least 25 MPH. I could have easily misread the sign.

Steve

Your bus sounds like the same one I've been seeing most of the summer on 95th st. at (I think) King Dr.

JSM

JSM wrote: Your bus sounds like the same one I've been seeing most of the summer on 95th st. at (I think) King Dr.

The Melon Bus gets around. Saturday it was parked on Stony Island near 73rd, not far from Moo & Oink (“We’d Like to Meat You”). A good location because Moo & Oink was, not surprisingly, a mob scene. They had tents set up outside to handle the overflow crowd of meat buyers. I wonder how many tons of ribs they sold over the weekend. The Melon Bus was doing pretty good business too.

Anyone know of any places on the north side of Chicago that have raw/green peanuts? My plans to visit my family in South Carolina fell through and now I need another way to satisfy my boiled peanut craving...

Every Thai and Viet grocer on or around Argyle should have them. Broadway Supermarket, for one. Good luck.

I just bought some at Joseph's in Crystal Lake. Boiled them, ate them all with a beer...I don't remember the price. I am going back Monday for more, if they have any. Let you know the cost..

I found some today at Viet Hoa (Broadway grocery didn't have them today). I grew up eating plain ole boiled peanuts but after reading through some of the posts I think I'll make two batches (one with beer) for comparison...

Preparation of boiled peanuts

Regards,