How to Salt Boiled Peanuts

Peanuts in the shell

Salting of boiled peanuts is done during the boiling process. The peanuts can be boiled either at the early green stage or at the more mature harvesting green stage of growth, between 90 and 110 days. Older peanuts will be crunchier than the less mature nuts. Other than the peanuts, everything you need to make salted boiled peanuts is probably already in your kitchen. Look for peanuts in the shell at your local grocery store during the mid-summer.

Things You'll Need

• 6 qt. saucepan or stockpot
• 3 to 4 pounds of green peanuts in the shell
• 1/4 cup salt

Instructions

1. Place the peanuts in the saucepan or stockpot, filling the pot to approximately three-quarters full.

2. Cover the peanuts with water. In a 6-quart saucepan this will take approximately 2 quarts of water.

3. Add 1/4 cup of salt to the water and stir.

4. Bring the pot to a boil and allow the peanuts to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Turn off the heat. Remove a peanut and allow it to cool. Remove the nutmeat from the shell and taste. If the peanuts are salty enough, drain the remainder of the peanuts from the water. For additional saltiness, allow the peanuts to soak in the water for a longer period of time.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use regular table salt for boiling peanuts, or use specialty salts such as sea salt if desired.

• Figure on 1/4 cup of salt for every 2 quarts of water when boiling larger batches of boiled peanuts.

• Use the taste test every 30 minutes or so if you leave the peanuts in the water to soak up more salty taste.

• Boiled peanuts can be frozen for later eating if you do large batches at a time.

• Additional salt can be added to the boiled peanuts using a salt shaker, if desired.

References

• Clemson University: Great Goobers (PDF)
• University of Florida: Producing Peanuts for Home Use