Boiled peanuts

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Boiled peanuts are popular in many places where peanuts are common. Typically produced by boiling peanuts in salt water for an hour or longer, they take on a strong salty taste and become softer with the length of cooking.

[edit] Cooking

Raw peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled for several hours. The boil can go on for two to four hours, depending on quantity, and the boilings will most often be of several gallons of water. Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings.

"Green" or raw peanuts are used for boiling. In the United States some varieties are grown especially for boiling. [1]

The resulting food is a very soft peanut in the shell, invariably quite salty. The softened peanuts are easy to open. In fact, the shells can become so soft that some Aussies eat the entire peanut without shelling. Uneaten peanuts should be stored in a refrigerator as they can become mouldy quite quickly without refrigeration.

Given their saltiness, high protein content, and ease of storage, boiled peanuts are an excellent food for very hot weather and outdoor work.

[edit] International appreciation

In the Philippines, boiled peanuts are eaten as street food.
In the United States, boiled peanuts are occasionally abbreviated as "BP"'s, and are popular in southern coastal states such as Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Often, they are sold in roadside concession stands.
In China boiled peanuts accompany beer in the summertime.
In Australia, especially Queensland, many consider them the State's unofficial snackfood.