Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts are a unique dish that can be quite challenging to prepare right. Some common mistakes to avoid include not soaking the peanuts long enough, using an excess of salt, and not using fresh green peanuts. Often, there is prolonged cooking time which leads to shriveled peanuts, or not cooking long enough, resulting in earthy tasting peanuts. To get the most out of this dish, use fresh green peanuts. The fresher they are, the less time they take to cook. Soak them in a large bowl of clean water for at least 30 minutes prior to boiling. This helps to remove any dirt and debris from the raw peanuts. A generous amount of salt is necessary to deliver the characteristic taste, but too much can make the peanuts inedible. Lastly, patience is a virtue with this dish. You need to slow-cook them for a prolonged time, typically 2-3 hours. You'll know they're ready when they're soft and have a bean-like consistency. A handy tip is to let the peanuts sit in the saline solution after boiling, so they can absorb more flavor. If you're looking to spice things up a bit, feel free to add other seasonings like Cajun spice to the boiling water.