Boiling Shelled Peanuts

by Anne
(Alberta, Canada)

Your recipe is for boiling peanuts in the shell, but what about shelled peanuts? Can we still boil them? What is the process? We have tasted peanuts boiled in oil and would like to know how to do that.

Thanks, Anne

Comments for Boiling Shelled Peanuts

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Jun 07, 2012

Boiling Shelled Peanuts and Cooking Peanuts in Oil
by: Bret

Anne,
Yes, you can boil shelled peanuts. They must be raw peanuts (uncooked). They will soften in less time than peanuts boiled in their shells. Otherwise the process is the same.

In Asia it is common to boil shelled groundnuts in water, with whole star anise, a cinnamon stick, allspice, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, a piece of mandarin peel, and salt. They call them Lum Fah Sang, braised peanuts.

Cooking peanuts in oil is frying, not boiling. The oil is about 350 degrees F (177 C), and the peanuts are cooked for about 5 minutes until done to your liking (they continue to cook as they cool). This is very different than boiling peanuts in water at 212 F (100 C).

Oil cooked peanuts are crunchy, and hard, with a roasted taste. Boiled peanuts are much softer, with a more meaty, or bean like taste.

Jun 15, 2014

I miss the days on that farm! Lets spread the word: peanut farmers move to my state!
by: Kathy in Californianonymous

I spent time on the farm my mom grew up on, in Ocala, Florida. Being a native Californian, at eight years old I had never heard of boiling raw peanuts, but the neighboring farmer was a peanut farmer, and we were invited to a peanut boil. Green peanuts freshly dug out of the earth, lots of water and salt, and all the peanuts we wanted. I wish these wonderful treats caught on in the rest of the states. There is nothing quite as tasty as those peanuts out of that big black caldron, mid fifties, central Florida!

I buy raw peanuts, and boil them for a couple of hours, use a plate to weigh them down, lots of salt, Kosher, no iodine or additives. Let them soak in this dark brine overnight, then heat them up and boil until they are as soft as we like them to be. I freeze the results in quart sized Ziploc bags, or we would sit and eat every darn one of them. lol

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