boiled peanut help

I bought some raw peanuts today for the first time ever. The recipes I've seen say to boil them for a minimum of 4 hours. I just boiled them for 2 hours and they seem done (and delicious.) Should I keep cooking them? Thank you.

Janet

4 hours seem like a really long time. I usually gently simmer peanuts (with a random assortment of whole spices) for no more than 2 hours. I do this for unshelled peanuts with the skin still on.

The Lee Bros. Boiled peanut FAQ. They only say that you boil the peanuts for a "really long time"

http://www.boiledpeanuts.com/index2.html

Alton Brown, a Georgia boy, recently did a peanut show and made boiled peanuts. He says a minimum of four hours, as much as eight:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes ... 08,00.html

Best,
Michael

I have found the time really varies depending on the size of the peanuts. The only true test for doneness that works for me is to try one and see if it is done. For me, that means a pretty soft but not mushy peanut.

On a separate note, have any of you you tried boiling them in anything other than salted water? I remember reading a post by someone who suggested boiling them in beer and hot dried peppers which sounded delicious.

Jyoti

i boil peanuts every year for our annual traditional southern new year's day supper (pork roast, collards, hoppin' john [with the hidden thimble], cornbread, applesauce and peach cobbler), and 4 to 6 hours has always been the time window that works the best for me. but i always just boil them in salted water. that's how i learned to do it growing up in south carolina.

I recently learned that peanuts are vulnerable to harmful fungi, and one of these, aflatoxin, is reportedly more toxic than DDT. Safe storage and cooking are said to address this concern, but you should never eat raw peanuts.

I'm from the long boiling school. An authentic boiled peanut shouldn't be "al dente". It should be mushy in texture. I would set four hours as a minimum at a very gentle simmer, slightly more than a poach. If you have the luxury of six hours, by all means take it.

Josephine wrote:I recently learned that peanuts are vulnerable to harmful fungi, and one of these, aflatoxin, is reportedly more toxic than DDT. Safe storage and cooking are said to address this concern, but you should never eat raw peanuts.

aflatoxins and other mycotoxins come from a variety of fungi. they are actually quite common and can be found in just about any grain/seed. animals are more susceptible than humans for some reason. it's a big concern in the animal feed industry. heating apparently can reduce but not eliminate the toxins. you will occasionally hear of dog food recalls, etc due to pets dying.

Josephine wrote:I recently learned that peanuts are vulnerable to harmful fungi, and one of these, aflatoxin, is reportedly more toxic than DDT. Safe storage and cooking are said to address this concern, but you should never eat raw peanuts.

DDT is not very toxic. Bad for insects, bad for the eggs of certain birds. For humans, not so much. We have a different nervous system than insects and we don't lay eggs.

I suggested beer and chile. That's how we did it in FL. Old Bay or Zataran's make nice additions, too.

Thanks to AngrySarah for raising questions about the description of aflatoxins. Regarding aflatoxins: scroll down on this page. Indeed, if DDT is minimally toxic to humans it is not at all clear what impact aflatoxins that are "20 times more toxic" (according to this link) than DDT might have.

However, to clarify, the concern about aflatoxins apparently lies in theircarcinogenic properties. Apparently, these toxins are present in quite a few foods to differing degrees. It may be quite impractical to avoid these foods.

I'm still avoiding raw peanuts.

It may be too late for me, though, after the suparikicks in! ':wink:'

Josephine:

I have no idea if and to what extent raw peanuts are dangerous. I just know I'm going to avoid them. Cookiing food is usuallya good idea. Gets rid of the nasty things in the ground.

But I do want to try boiled peanuts because I am a fan of southern food.

on edit: Yikes!! I just read that article. I am definately not eating raw peanuts now.

I wanted to start a thread dedicated to the boiled peanut. I first tasted them about four years ago, and fell in love with them. I swear I must have lived in the south in a previous life. I recently got back from a trip to GA, where the first of the peanuts (green peanuts) were being boiled and sold. A southerner will tell you that the only proper boiled peanut is a green peanut. I was surprised at the difference between green peanuts and mature peanuts. The green peanuts are smaller, milder and softer. My own preference is the mature peanut. Then I found out you can boil your peanuts in your own special brew of spices. There are all different directions you can go with this, but the most common direction is spicy. Allergies aside, I consider the boiled peanut a perfect food. They are a good source of protein and slide down so easy. There is no nut like the boiled peanut. I'm pretty sure the boiled peanut can be found in diverse cultures. I'm hoping that people might share some of their heritage with how they spice and use boiled peanuts. I love the goobers. What say you?

OK, I guess I'm Yankee all the lives back to when I was Cleopatra's grape-peeler.
Sorry, but the one exposure I had to boiled peanuts made me think strongly about finding culinary uses for kudzu.

That's okay, this southerner was asked by her sister what she wanted for the birthday luncheon next month and her immediate response was Boiled Peanuts!

It's definitely a favorite food along with melons,black cherries, and white peaches.

razbry wrote:I swear I must have lived in the south in a previous life.

I feel the same way razbry, and I'm also a big fan of boiled peanuts. The only place I've had them in Chicago, however, is at Lillie Q's, and I thought they did a very nice job with them.

BR wrote:

razbry wrote:I swear I must have lived in the south in a previous life.

I feel the same way razbry, and I'm also a big fan of boiled peanuts. The only place I've had them in Chicago, however, is at Lillie Q's, and I thought they did a very nice job with them.

Okay where can I find green peanuts this week in Chicago? All this chatting is giving me a real need for boiled peanuts, sweet cherries, & a slice of sweet melon

It may not be the same, but I throw a bag of salted in shell peanuts in my crockpot with water and red pepper flakes and let them cook for about 2 days. That's how I fill my craving!

Not sure if this helps but Caputos usually carries raw peanuts this time of year.

I had my first boiled peanuts courtesy of pairs4life, and I liked them a lot (also enjoyed Lillie's Q version).

Today at Good Earth (plant store) in Forest Park, I saw some peanut plants for sale. I assumed that growing peanuts in this part of the world would be pointless, but maybe not. Thoughts?

David Hammond wrote:Today at Good Earth (plant store) in Forest Park, I saw some peanut plants for sale. I assumed that growing peanuts in this part of the world would be pointless, but maybe not. Thoughts?

My father, in his effort to grow everything at least once, decided to grow peanuts one year on the flood plain of the Little Miami River outside of Cincinnati. He was moderately successful as he ended up with about a peck of peanuts.

He decided that while it was fun, it was a lot easier to buy than to grow them. Ditto for tobacco even though his farmette had a 5# annual allotment.


Here is the opinion of the Iowa State University farm extention:


Is it possible to grow peanuts in Iowa?
While peanuts are grown commericially in the southeastern United States, they can be grown in Iowa. Their unique growth habit makes them a fun addition to the home garden.

Peanuts grow best in loose, well-drained soils. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites and clay soils. Plant peanuts after the danger of frost is past. Peanuts require a soil temperature of 65 F for germination. Sow peanut seeds 1 to 1.5 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches apart. Rows should be spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. Suggested varieties for home gardens include ‘Spanish,’ ‘Early Spanish,’ ‘Virginia Improved’ and ‘Jumbo Virginia.’ Peanuts are warm-season annuals that require a minimum of 120 frost free days to reach maturity.

The flowering and fruiting of peanuts are unique. Flowers are borne above ground, but the pods develop below ground. Peanut plants bloom about 30 to 40 days after emergence. The flowers are small, bright yellow and pea-like in appearance. After pollination and fertilization occurs, the stalk (peg) below the fertilized ovary elongates and curves downward. It takes about 10 days for the peg to penetrate into the soil. A week after soil penetration, the peg tip enlarges and pod and seed development begin. The fruit mature in 9 to 10 weeks with favorable temperatures and moisture conditions.

Harvest peanuts when the foliage begins to yellow in late summer or early fall. Dig up the plants with a spading fork and carefully shake off the loose soil. Cure the peanuts in a warm, dry shed or garage. After the plants have dried for 1 or 2 weeks, pull the pods from the plants and dry the peanuts for an additional 1 or 2 weeks. Once dried, place the pods in mesh bags and store them in a cool, well-ventilated place until roasted.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2 ... 070201.htm


Personally, I would buy Grade A Extra Fancy RAW peanuts from Suffolk Co., VA and roast them at 350F for 26 minutes.

I'm kicking myself for not getting a few plants. They had like small four-packs for under $2. Will try to get there tomorrow for a few. Have just the patch.

David Hammond wrote:I'm kicking myself for not getting a few plants. They had like small four-packs for under $2. Will try to get there tomorrow for a few. Have just the patch.

It is hard to find a lot of literature on raising peanuts in a home garden. Most of the material on the Virginia Tech website has to do with peanuts as a field crop. I am hard pressed to remember any of my friends in Southern VA who grew peanuts at home.

However, here is a website that gives you the basics:

http://www.aboutpeanuts.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=32

The problem that you are going to encounter is the length of the growing season in Northern Illinois. You need 110-120 days of warm soil and that just is not happening here.

It is sort of like the Hatch pepper seeds that I bought last fall while I was in Las Cruces. The soil never gets as warm as you need to properly grow the peppers.

I have grown them in the garden for the hell of it. They are like rabbit crack. The rabbits would eat my peanut plants before anything else. Two or three plants netted a handful of tiny peanuts. The soil at my house is heavy clay..not ideal.

I have some seed at home packed for this year, but wife didn't want to plant any..."it's a waste of space!"

Maybe I'll grow them in a pot.

As far as bald peanuts go, they kind of remind me of edamame. Salty and mushy. Good with a cold beer.

...boiled peanuts, how to make them, where to get green goobers to do so, etc. have been discussed here a lot, though not recently. A simple search for "boiled peanuts" yeilds more than 100 interesting and varied hits. Then, as now, Asian markets (esp. Viet and Chinese) usually have green peanuts, which you are advised to boil in cheap beer with salt and hot pepper.

Sources for green peanuts

Regards,

jlawrence01 wrote:
The problem that you are going to encounter is the length of the growing season in Northern Illinois. You need 110-120 days of warm soil and that just is not happening here.

Agreed. Our already abbreviated season may, very well have been shortened what with overnight lows in the 40's last week.

David, as a child I always loved, loved, loved boiled p-nuts. So much so that my beloved Auntie Mary Orr, not to be confused with Auntie Mary Amos ( she's my sister's godmum & introduced my parents to each other), or my biological Auntie Marry Simmons. Auntie Mary O. (she was my first next door neighbor and would routinely supply me with peanuts whenever I went next door during the season) thought it would be a good idea to take me to the "country" to see p-nuts grow and pick some. Her cousin raised a crop of p-nuts.

I was elated about this trip that turned into disaster. No sooner had I pulled the first handful to reveal the peanuts growing underground, was I attacked by biting bugs on my little legs and feet, I think they were fire ants. I remember the soil being dry, down right dust, and the sun was beating with an intensity that belied the fire from the stings on my feet and legs. I was swept up and carried to a the house where green alcohol was poured over my legs and my screams subsided. Then I was served a huge bowl of boiled peanuts and sweet tea.

Thanks for the Memory,

I'm in the 'love 'em' camp (lots of time spent visiting family in SC). You can often find green peanuts at the Asian market on Argyle.
I usually add a beer or two when I'm boiling them at home.

Interesting. I'm from SC & never had anyone add beer.

Where did you find the peanuts?