Southern Boiled Peanuts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to soak raw peanuts before boiling? ›

Use a large dinner plate to help submerge the floating peanuts. Soak peanuts 8 hours or overnight. (This step saves a little time boiling, but if you don't have the luxury of soaking time, you can skip it.)

Just make sure you add enough to flavor the cooking liquid. If you can't taste it in the liquid, then you won't taste it in the peanuts. 4. Add vinegar for depth of flavor – Much like adding spices and seasonings, adding vinegar to your boiled peanuts provides another layer of flavor.

Boiled peanuts that are overcooked or left out for too long can become slimy. Make sure to cook until tender (not mushy), and refrigerate any leftovers after serving.

Once the peanuts have boiled for three hours (one hour for green peanuts), sample them to check their texture and salinity. Remove a peanut, and when it is cool enough to handle, crack open its shell and taste the kernel, slurping some brine with it. If the peanut crunches, it should be cooked further.

The longer the peanuts cook, or sit in the salty water, the saltier they will become. Also the longer the peanuts cook, the softer the shells will become. Some people prefer their peanut shells soft and almost chewy, some prefer a little firm so you can pry open the shells.

Simmer and soak at the end of the boil. Let the peanuts soak as they cool. They will become wet inside the shell, and over time, the salt water saturates the peanuts inside. Soak them in the brine overnight, in the refrigerator, for maximum juicy flavor.

Some peanuts are bitter because they have gone bad.

Boiled peanuts can get slimy if they're overcooked or sit in the brine for too long.

Green peanuts are raw peanuts that have been freshly dug from the soil and no moisture has been removed. Therefore, they have very high moisture content—approximately 35% to 50%. Most die-hard boiled peanuts fans will say you can only use green peanuts for making boiled peanuts.

When done, boiled peanuts should have a similar texture to a cooked dry bean. It should hold its shape, but not crunch when bitten. Add more water throughout the cooking process, if needed.

Can boiled peanuts sit in water overnight? ›

It is not safe to keep a pot of peanuts simmering overnight on the stove, therefore I suggest you put the peanuts in the refrigerator overnight. You can store the partially boiled peanuts in the salt water, or drain them before refrigeration.

There is so much moisture in boiled peanuts that they will spoil and may harbor bacteria if left out at room temperature more than a couple of hours. Boiled peanuts taste great cold, and the refrigerator will keep them fresh for several days (again like leftover peas or beans).

Dried raw peanuts must be cooked much longer. Dried peanuts may require boiling up to 24 hours until they soften. If your water is hard, full of minerals, or you are boiling at high altitude, then your boiling times for dried peanuts may be greater than 24 hours.

Raw peanuts can be boiled in a pot, a pressure cooker, or a slow cooker. Green peanuts need at least 1 hour of boiling up to 4 hours. Raw, dried peanuts require more boiling, up to 24 hours in a slow cooker, or an open pot. A pressure cooker boils dried peanuts much faster, especially at high altitude.

Fill pot with water and allow peanuts to soak 8 hours or overnight. Peanuts will absorb a lot of the water making it necessary to add water until the pot is filled. Add salt to taste. Cook peanuts on low for 8 hours and then on high for 1 1/2 hours or medium for 4 1/2 hours.

Add salt and cover the peanuts with filtered water.

The important thing is to completely cover the peanuts so they can fully soak. It's fine to leave the salt out of the soaking solution if you're planning on a really quick soak where the peanuts don't actually sprout.