# Peanut boiling question



## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

I am an admitted boiled peanut junky. Generally I'll buy em off the side off the road, but have tried to boil them a few times and I had some questions. I understand that recipes are as closely guarded as a fishing honey hole so I'm just looking for general info. 

Is soaking for 24 hrs necessary? The times I've boiled I neglected to soak and it seems like I should have. 

How long should they boil for? Do you bring the water to a boil before adding, like crawfish, or do you heat them with the water? How long should I expect 20#s to take to boil? 

I was going to boil outside in my crawfish pot. 


Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## SeaBit (Jan 22, 2008)

What we do is thoroughly wash the peanuts 3 times, (this takes out the "muddy" taste some peanuts from the roadside stands, gas stations have). Put in 10 lbs of nuts in turkey/crawfish pot, (with water up to 'Fill Line'), and add 2 oz of Salt per pound of Peanuts, ie. about* 4 tablespoons Salt per pound*. Boil for 2 hours, (too much longer than that, and the Peanut shells will open up,......not good). After 2 hours of boiling, take off heat and let sit. The longer the Peanuts sit in brine, the saltier they become. We let ours soak for about 15 minutes for "Lightly Salted" and 30 minutes for "Pretty Dang Salty". Pop beer, shell Peanut, watch football, go to bed happy


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## Nokomis (Nov 12, 2012)

No need to boil water before puttin peanuts in..., 20# + 1 box of salt for 4-5 hrs , sample at 4 hrs to your desire, I do it every year & freeze them.:thumbup:


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

Thanks.


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

small amount of peanuts, put them in a crock pot on high, I just put 2lbs on**salt to liking, cook till you like the tenderness?? easy way! LOL


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

I like to soak for a day. Just always the way I was taught from my granny.


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## Smarty (Nov 23, 2008)

Pick up an 18 pack of Icehouse in the bottle. Bring peanuts to a slow rolling boil while drinking purchased beer. Once approx. 4 beers are gone the water level will slowly drop. Drink another beer and add last few swallows to pot along with enough water to keep peanuts covered. Repeat process until 12 beers are gone then add salt to taste. Once you've finished beer number 16 start eating peanuts. Shells at that point should be soft but the peanuts are still firm and are now full of flavor. Keep eating them while enjoying how awesome they and the last 2 beers taste. Wake up 12hrs later wondering why you're hung over, dehydrated, and have a bad case of the shits. Down 2 immodium and 2 tylenol with as much Gatorade as you can stand. Give away remaining peanuts to the 1st taker and vow to never make boiled peanuts again because they're evil!


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

Smarty said:


> Pick up an 18 pack of Icehouse in the bottle. Bring peanuts to a slow rolling boil while drinking purchased beer. Once approx. 4 beers are gone the water level will slowly drop. Drink another beer and add last few swallows to pot along with enough water to keep peanuts covered. Repeat process until 12 beers are gone then add salt to taste. Once you've finished beer number 16 start eating peanuts. Shells at that point should be soft but the peanuts are still firm and are now full of flavor. Keep eating them while enjoying how awesome they and the last 2 beers taste. Wake up 12hrs later wondering why you're hung over, dehydrated, and have a bad case of the shits. Down 2 immodium and 2 tylenol with as much Gatorade as you can stand. Give away remaining peanuts to the 1st taker and vow to never make boiled peanuts again because they're evil!


 

So you have Boiled some a time or two have ya???................. Funny Stuff there...


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## Smarty (Nov 23, 2008)

Snagged Line said:


> So you have Boiled some a time or two have ya???................. Funny Stuff there...


Just trying to do my part and help out a fellow PFF'er


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## Cobia40 (Feb 17, 2010)

I place some in a pot after I boiled crawfish in and let it soak in the water overnight. The next morning I turned on the burner and finished cleaning up from the crawfish party we had the night before and let them boil for several hours and they were awesome.


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## GWally (May 16, 2009)

Just reheated a quart bag. 
The cook time is going to vary a lot depending on how "green" the peanuts are. Last month I picked up a 45# sack ($20, great deal) over near Robertsdale AL. I had to do 2 boils in my crawfish pot so, 20# would be about right.
Since these are late in season, some were pretty dry, others greener. Didn't wash them so the water near the end of bagging them for freezing was a tad muddy but, the ones I just ate tasted fine.
We started out hoping them to be done in a couple of hours, but ended up needing closer to 4 to get the dryer ones done and they still have a slight crunch, the green ones soft but not mushy.
I put all this in because, it is going to vary depending on the peanuts. I guess, like dry beans, soaking will shorten the cooking process, but we never bothered.
They freeze great in the brine. Qt ziplocks make a nice size for reheating. We just dump them into a pot and boil them enough to get them hot,
We are already planning on next year (still have 40+ bags in the freezer) but will buy them early in the season so they will be more consistent and most likely will be done in a couple of hours.
Kind of like crawfish, sample as you cook til they are the way you like them.

I found the key to crawfish is like the pros in South LA did. Use 2 pots. The soak pot stops the cooking and then inparts the flavor. No need to use a bunch of ice and water down the boil.

We're doing crawfish in 10# lots now in the kitchen, few pounds at a time and they are coming out perfect.
(not now, but soon)


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