What Is A Boiled Peanut?

Boiled peanuts are popular in many places where peanuts are common. They are eaten as a street food in the Philippines and as a summertime accompaniment to beer in China.

In the southern states of the United States, raw peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled for several hours. The boil can go on for two to four hours, depending on quantity, and the boilings will most often be of several gallons of water. Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings.

Varieties of peanuts grown for boiling are referred to as "green peanuts" as opposed to "roasting peanuts." They are usually grown in small quantities for local use whereas roasting peanuts are grown, usually under contract, in considerable areas.

The resulting food is a very soft peanut in the shell, invariably quite salty. The softened peanuts are easy to crack open. The uneaten peanuts are easy to store in a refrigerator, but do not keep well without refrigeration.

Given their saltiness, high protein content, and ease of storage, boiled peanuts are an excellent food for very hot weather and outdoor work. At roadside concessions throughout the south, boiled peanuts are sometimes sold during their season.


So there's your history lesson for the day!