Should I presoak raw peanuts before boiling them?

by Robert
(Tampa Bay, FL)

My bag of raw peanuts says I should soak them for up to 24 hours in brine before cooking. I'm going to cook them in a crock pot, which lengthens the cooking time, so is presoaking necessary?


Thanks!

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Jun 20, 2012
 Presoaking raw peanuts
by: Bret

Robert,
I have boiled raw dried peanuts with, and without presoaking them. The results are fine either way. I don't presoak dried peanuts before boiling them.

I don't think presoaking dried peanuts does any harm, but I am not convinced that it reduces boiling time significantly. Unlike dried beans, peanuts have a hard shell that is a barrier. Cool water does not penetrate the shell very easily, unless the shell is cracked open.

The pot of soaking peanuts takes up space in the refrigerator, and the same time spent soaking the peanuts could be used to boil them. For me, it is a matter of the elapsed time until the peanuts are ready to eat. With dried peanuts, boiling time beats presoaking time, every time.

I do strongly recommend soaking the peanuts in the brine after they have softened. The salt water is able to reach the inner seed after it has softened from hours of cooking.

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.

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