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Boiled Peanuts

By Morgan Bolling

Published on February 14, 2018

Time

6½ hours, plus 2 hours cooling

Yield

Makes about 16 cups

Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients

2 pounds raw, shell-on peanuts 2 gallons water 1 cup salt

Before You Begin

If you're using fresh green peanuts, which are available in late summer and early fall, reduce the cooking time to about 2 hours.

Instructions

  1. Combine peanuts, water, and salt in 12-quart stockpot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until peanuts are tender, about 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let peanuts cool completely in water, about 2 hours. Strain and serve.
Boiled Peanuts
Photography by Keller + Keller.

Boiled Peanuts

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Time

6½ hours, plus 2 hours cooling

Yield

Makes about 16 cups

Ingredients

2 pounds raw, shell-on peanuts
2 gallons water
1 cup salt

Ingredients

2 pounds raw, shell-on peanuts
2 gallons water
1 cup salt

Ingredients

2 pounds raw, shell-on peanuts
2 gallons water
1 cup salt

Why This Recipe Works

Boiled peanuts are a beloved roadside snack in the southern United States. For our recipe, we found that boiling fresh, shell-on (not roasted) peanuts in heavily seasoned water was the most successful cooking method for a reason: It worked best. Cooking the peanuts covered for 5 to 6 hours and letting them cool in the cooking water for another 2 hours ensured that they were perfectly tender.

Before You Begin

If you're using fresh green peanuts, which are available in late summer and early fall, reduce the cooking time to about 2 hours.

Instructions

  1. Combine peanuts, water, and salt in 12-quart stockpot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until peanuts are tender, about 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let peanuts cool completely in water, about 2 hours. Strain and serve.

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