Goober Peas - Cajun Boiled Peanuts

♫Sitting by the roadside on a summer's day
Chatting with my mess-mates, passing time away
Lying in the shadows underneath the trees
Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.

Peas, peas, peas, peas
Eating goober peas
Goodness, how delicious,
Eating goober peas.♫

"Goober Peas" by P. Nutt and A. Pindar, 1866

This Cajun Boiled Peanut recipe is for my BFF since high school buddy Debbie, in Texas, who has been harassing me asked me for my recipe for boiled peanuts ever since I mentioned on Facebook that the roadside peanut stands have started popping up around here. {Yes darlin' I know you got some when you were down here for your conference, so I know.. I'm a little slow...} Well the season for fresh green (raw) peanuts is actually only just beginning to kick in - it runs between May and November - though you can pretty much find raw peanuts at your local market anytime of the year. I was waiting and hoping to find some fresh green {raw} peanuts before posting this, but... I'm still waiting!

Boiled peanuts are a decidedly southern thing, and even amongst us southerners there are two factions.  You either love them. Or you hate them. I once thought they were disgusting - mushy, soft peanuts, I mean really - but then something happened and I fell in love with them. So, now I'm of the love 'em camp myself, and in fact, find they are just a bit addictive.  The texture might be offputting to some folks, since boiling a peanut gives it a very soft, soggy feel to the mouth - very different from the crunchy roasted peanut most people are accustomed to!

It is believed that southerners started boiling peanuts back during the Civil War when on the march through Georgia, Confederate troops were split up, and food and supplies became hard to come by.  Peanuts became an important source for nutrition, and Confederate soldiers often roasted them over campfires and some began to boil them.  Somewhere along the way somebody used salt when they were boiling them, which made the boiled peanuts last a little bit longer, and hot, boiled and salted peanuts were born!

Boiled peanuts are even available in the can at the local chain grocery markets around here and are very good, but I love to stop and grab a bag of hot, boiled peanuts right out of the pot from the guys who sell them on the roadside. It feels more authentic to me and I feel like I'm helping them out by buying from them. Of course, unless you live somewhere in the southeast region of this country, I suspect you won't find many boiled peanuts showing up at roadside vendors or local farmer's markets, so you'll be relegated to makin' your own.  It's not hard at all, it's just a bit time consuming, especially when using older raw peanuts.

The problem with out of season, raw peanuts is, that they are generally last year's crop and over time become quite dehydrated, meaning that they can take forever to cook. Older peanuts can take 8 hours, and even much longer, so as long as you are prepared to stew them literally all day long {and sometimes into the next day} you can still have boiled peanuts any time of the year.

For older peanuts, you'll also need to use lots of salt, primarily because you will likely find that you are having to refresh the boiling water continuously to reach the level of softness you want. Otherwise, they will not be seasoned enough. You'll just need to continually check and taste as they cook, until they reach the desired level of tenderness you like. On the other hand, fresh from the garden peanuts can be ready in as little as 2 to 4 hours. So the first key is to know if you're cooking fresh, green raw peanuts, or last year's leftovers.

This recipe is written for a single 1-pound bag of raw peanuts, but amounts listed in the recipe are very dependent on personal preference to be honest.  You'll really have to make up a batch to see how the seasoning is for your taste and then make adjustments with the salt and seasonings for your next batch. Just remember, unless you are using fresh, in season, raw peanuts, it's probably gonna take a big time commitment to get there.

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Cajun Boiled Peanuts
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Brine:

About a gallon of water
1-1/4 cups of kosher salt
1 pound fresh raw peanuts in shells

Boil:

Water to fill the pot
1 tablespoon crab boil (or to taste)
2 teaspoons of Slap Ya Mama or your favorite
   Cajun or Creole seasoning (or to taste)
1 cup of giardiniera peppers, sliced fresh or pickled
   jalapeno peppers, or a combination of both, (or to taste)

You'll need a large stockpot large enough to hold several gallons of water, a lid or plate that will fit just on the inside of the pot, and something heavy to weigh the plate down. I just use another heavy pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the peanuts, plus a couple of inches; add the salt and stir to dissolve.  Rinse the peanuts and add them to the water. The peanuts will float, but you'll use the lid to push them down into the water and then set another heavy pot on top of that lid to hold the peanuts down in the pot.  Set aside to soak overnight.

When ready to boil, remove the weight and the lid and add additional water to the brining water, to bring it up to a full pot.  Stir in the crab boil, Cajun seasoning and peppers and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 4 hours (checking at 2 hours if peanuts are very fresh), adding water as needed to keep peanuts covered.  If additional water is added, bring back up to a boil, then reduce heat back to a simmer.  Taste one for texture and flavor and continue cooking, as needed, checking in 30 minute increments until they reach your desired consistency. Some people like them with a bit of a crunch still, others prefer them to be very soft.

Grab a cold Barq's root beer in a bottle, ice cold beer, or tall glass of southern sweet iced tea. Use a spider to extract those peanuts into a small bowl so that they can sit in their own little hot tub of salty juiciness while you enjoy them! Leave the rest of them soaking in the water to increase saltiness and heat level. Scoop out and refrigerate any leftovers; warm in the microwave. Will not keep longer than a few days, however they can be processed and canned, or frozen.

Recipe can be multiplied for cooking outside on a boiler if desired.

Crockpot: Use the largest crockpot you own, brine, then transfer the peanuts to the crockpot with just enough of the brining water to fill the crock 3/4ths way full.  Cook on High overnight, or for roughly 12 hours (or as long as 24 if peanuts are older) checking the water occasionally; test and continue cooking to desired texture.

Pressure Cooker: Cook at medium high pressure for 45 minutes, transfer to crockpot and finish for approximately 2 hours; taste and continue cooking as needed until done.

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Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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