Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts are a traditional southern snack that I had not experienced until recently. I found raw peanuts in the shell at the supermarket and determined to make them. I checked the internet and the back of the bag for recipes and ended by doing something that borrowed from several of them.

Basically, you just boil them in heavily salted water for a couple of hours, and they turn into something a lot like edamame, another legume. Like edamame, boiled peanuts are an excellent accompaniment to cocktails or, better still, beer. What I did was to add 1 pound of raw peanuts to 6 cups of water containing 4 tablespoons of Kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning. The 2 tablespoons of Old Bay is optional, but I think it's nice to add something besides pure salt. Next time I plan to use a Cajun seasoning blend that I like.

Easy, cheap, fun.

Bobby Jay