How to Shell Peanuts

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Things You'll Need

  • Newspaper or paper towels

  • Large bowl

Peanuts are surprisingly easy to shell.

Peanut shells can be difficult to open if you use the wrong kind of opening process. If you try to open the peanut in the wrong area, the shell will splinter, twist and may even crack the nut inside. However, there is a way to open peanut shells that requires no special tools and will leave 2 perfect peanut shell halves without breaking the nuts inside. Use this method for opening peanut shells quickly, easily and with no problems.

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Step 1

Lay some newspaper or paper towels on a flat surface. You can also use a large bowl for this task. Place a large bowl near the newspapers to collect the shelled peanuts.

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Step 2

Inspect the peanut shell for signs of a small indentation along one end of the peanut. This indentation is the key to shelling perfect peanuts. Face the end of the peanut with the indentation upward.

Step 3

Squeeze the indentation gently with your thumb. The two halves of the peanut shell should fall away. Peel the brown casing from the peanut with your fingers. Drop the shelled nut into the large bowl.

Step 4

Repeat this process until all nuts are shelled. Discard the shells in the trash or a compost pile. Store the nuts in an airtight container.

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