Gosh it’s difficult to take a glamour shot of these, but I promise you, they are the epitome of ugly delicious! Beige, drab, mushy, sure, but salty, savory, peanutty, addictive? Oh yes.

I’m well aware that boiled peanuts, are…divisive. Even among southerners you won’t find 100% agreement on whether these summer snacks are delicious or just plain gross. Happily, my family mostly falls on the side of delicious. I have so many memories of my Nana pulling off to a roadside farm stand, where inevitably there would be a few men standing over a giant pot of boiling peanuts in the humid Georgia afternoon. We’d buy a huge, steaming bag of them, the scent filling the car on the way home, where we would gather on the screened in back porch and tear into the whole pile. I don’t have much fondness for Georgia summers, but this was bliss.

Unhappily for me, boiled peanuts are difficult to get my hands on out of the South. Oh, sure, you’ll see them on menus every now and then, but in my experience they are usually under-cooked and bland, rinsed of the slurp-able, salty brine that gives these peanuts their special something (maybe this is why I’ve been unable to convince my friends of their deliciousness?). If I want to make them myself, I can sometimes find raw peanuts in Chinatown or out in the Richmond, but for real-deal boiled peanuts, what you want are green peanuts. Green peanuts are freshly dug peanuts that haven’t been dried at all, so they have a high moisture content and are, unfortunately, extremely perishable. I also happen to be slightly biased that Georgia grows the best peanuts, so this perishability is not ideal!

However, two weeks ago I got the best text ever from a cousin in Georgia, asking me if I wanted him to ship me some peanuts. Hell yes I did want that! Last year at my uncle’s wedding, we had a conversation where I lamented how hard it was to get real green peanuts here, and I promptly forgot about it, but he followed through with a full 1/4 bushel. That is about 8 pounds of peanuts!

Two weekends ago, when the temperature was soaring and the air quality was terrible, I set up a small boiled peanut operation in my kitchen, filling up every available pot and appliance with the shells, water, and so much salt. I steamed up my apartment with peanut vapors, but it was worth it!

Depending on how well I can manage to ration these, I’ve got about a year’s supply of boiled peanuts in the freezer, ready for reheating, to be enjoyed with a nice cold beer. I really hope I can convince you to give these a try, but if not, well, more for me!

Boiled Peanuts

Below you’ll find methods for boiling peanuts three different ways: stovetop, crockpot, and Instant Pot.

For each method you’ll need:

• 2 lbs green peanuts (see note)

• water, to cover

• 1/2 tbs kosher salt per cup of water

• cajun spices or old bay, to taste (optional)

Prepare peanuts:

1. Rinse peanuts in several washes of cool water, then let soak in water for 30 minutes to loosen any remaining dirt and rinse again.

2. Add peanuts to your chosen cooking vessel (large pot, crock or Instant pot) and add enough water to cover (you may need to do multiple batches depending on how many peanuts you have and the size of the pot). Add 1/2 tbs salt per cup of water and stir to get everything mixed together. Add spices, if using.

3. Stovetop method: Heat water to boiling, then lower heat to a rapid simmer and cook, covered, for 2-3 hours. After one hour, taste for salinity and doneness. Adjust the salt as desired, and continue cooking, covered, until peanuts are softened to the texture of cooked beans, and pleasantly salty like a good pickle. Crockpot method: Cook peanuts on high for 6 hours until softened. Adjust salt as needed after four hours. Instant Pot method: Add peanuts, water, and salt to the Instant pot and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook on high for 75 minutes. Once finished, let sit for 25 minutes, then carefully release the valve and let steam escape.

4. Serve peanuts warm, with cold beer or soda, and plenty of napkins!

Notes:

• Green peanuts will be the best here if you can find them, but if not, raw peanuts are the best substitute. They will take longer to boil though as they have less moisture.

• Many companies will ship peanuts nationwide, though just beware that for green peanuts, hot weather can sometimes impact shipping. My peanuts came from Hardy Farms.