During baseball season, I spend the majority of my nights talking myself out of eating ballpark food. The smell of funnel cake and caramelized pecans can be quite persuasive, y’all! I’m lucky to have made some amazing girlfriends from around the world in the stands, and we all try to hold strong together. One of my best girls is from Minot, North Dakota.
Yes, our accents are very different, and so is our culture. Y’all, she had never had a boiled peanut! What? I know! This summer I took it upon myself to introduce her to this yummy delicacy – she thought they tasted like little potatoes!
Clockwise from top: Recipe and photography by Our Life in the Kitchen, recipe for Hot Spiced Boiled Peanuts and plain Boiled Peanuts, both from Southern Living
Originally called “goober peas” (LOVE!), boiled peanuts have been a staple in the deep South since the 19th century. When the peanut crops were ready, unsold stock would be prepared in a “boiling,” and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Sounds just like the South, right? Unsurprisingly, boiled peanuts are still a symbol of Southern culture and cuisine.
Raw (or “green”) peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled, generally from four to seven hours and using several gallons of water. A tip: green peanuts cook faster and tend to be better tasting! Modern cooks sometimes use crock pots, but I still think it would be fun to make a day of it and invite your friends and neighbors over for an old fashioned boiling! Interesting boiled peanut fact: on May 1, 2006, Governor Mark Sanford signed a bill making boiled peanuts the official snack food of South Carolina! Closer to home, they are also an all time favorite of our own Ms. Lara!
CWF Photography
We love the idea of boiled peanuts as wedding favors or late night snacks!
Will you be incorporating boiled peanuts in to your wedding? Do you have a favorite Southern food? Let me know in the comments below!
Boiled peanuts are my absolute favorite! Pick some up every weekend to take out on the boat. They are my one request to my future in-laws for the rehearsal dinner. :)
Boiled peanuts always remind me of late summer nights eating al fresco and talking until the stars come out. They also make a great snack for a day spent hiking.
I’m from ND but had the pleasure of living in SC for 2 yrs and loved boiled peanuts. I think I need to make some now!
Do it! They’re so yummy!
I have friends that always serve boiled peanuts as a appetizer when they’re hosting a dinner party but they always taste best with Savannah Sand Gnats baseball!
Love love love this idea! Where did you get the printed paper bags?