Boiled Peanuts Recipe

Boiled peanuts are one of the favorite pastime snack of many countries. There are many reasons for it, first of all they have a different taste, which cannot match any other fruit or vegetable! Secondly, you do not have to take a lot of effort to boil peanuts, and there is no list of ingredients or 45 minutes cooking time involved in boiling peanuts! Thirdly, and most important, peanuts are quite cheap compared to other nuts, so one does not need to burn a hole in the pocket to buy peanuts. In fact, peanuts are one thing that can be bought even with very little money! Talking about peanuts health benefits, peanuts are said to keep the heart healthy as they contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are said to keep the cholesterol levels low. Peanuts also contain a large amount of minerals; regular consumption of peanuts minimizes the risk mineral deficiency diseases. Boiled peanuts are also beneficial to our health as they contain folic acid which helps prevent a certain type of anemia. This was a little about peanuts in short, let us take a look at a boiled peanuts recipe, in fact not just one recipe, but a few recipes with variations.

Recipe #1
Ingredients

• 3 qt water (more can be added)
• 2 tsp red hot sauce (add or reduce according to preference)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (add to taste)
• 1 tsp red pepper powder (add to taste)
• 2 lb peanuts in shells (raw/not roasted)
• 6 tsp salt (add to taste)

Process

Firstly clean the peanuts in shells and set aside. Take a large pot or pressure cooker and soak peanuts in water, add salt to taste. Now add hot sauce and red pepper flakes and cook until soft. A pressure cooker will actually save your time, but if you don't have one, simply cover the pot but leave a small vent. Fresh peanuts won't need any repeated addition of salt or spice, but if they are not so fresh, you need to check for saltiness and spiciness while they are being boiled. In fact, if the shells are hard the salt and spice won't penetrate inside. You will need to make small crack in each shell. Serve warm.

Recipe #2
Ingredients

• 2 tbs smoked paprika, shrimp boil mix
• ¼ cup kosher salt (or 2 tbs salt)
• 1 pound of raw fresh peanuts
• 4 cups water

Process

Rinse unshelled raw peanuts in water. After washing, add water, seasoning, salt and peanuts in a large stockpot. Cover and boil for about 2-3 hours or until they reach the desired softness. After they are done, simply drain the water and eat the peanuts. You might find 2-3 hours a little two long, but do you know that some boil the peanuts all the day!

Recipe #3
Ingredients

• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapeño peppers, with liquid
• 1 (6 ounce) package dry crab boil
• 5 pounds raw peanuts, in shells

Process

Wash the peanuts thoroughly and then place them in a slow cooker. When placed in the cooker, sprinkle with crab boil and then pour water. Make sure that the nuts are fully covered with water. Add in jalapeño peppers along with their liquid and cook the peanuts for about 6-8 hours, until they start floating on water. This is one of the best cajun boiled peanuts recipe.

These were some simple and tasty recipes for boiled peanuts. You can try all the above recipes and decide the best boiled peanuts recipe for yourself. Bon appetit!