Slow Cooker Boiled Peanuts!

Well, our fabulous Thanksgiving Day feast and Family Reunion is well past, and I have almost a year to recover. Good thing... I'm getting pretty old now, and the preparation for that event is becoming real work!

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One thing that has become a family tradition associated with this event, is the ad-hoc preparation, sharing, and consumption of boiled peanuts. Now boiled peanuts are almost a religion in the South. Everybody has their own "secret" recipé that he /she is convinced produces the best possible combination of flavors, and that no one else can duplicate - unless they cheat!

Today I'm going to reveal my "secret" recipé, because its not really much of a secret... anyone who ever spent any time watching the guys who used to sell the delicacy at the intersections of country roads should be able to duplicate the process! The main difference between me and those vendors, is that while they usually use a large pot or 55 gallon drum over a fire, I use a slow-cooker (crock-pot).

There are major differences of opinion between boiled peanut aficionados concerning the suitability of different peanut cultivars for boiling, as well as differences concerning whether the peanuts may be "cured" (dried) or "green" (fresh from the harvest). These opinions may be strong enough to cause the occasional fight to break out.

As far as I'm concerned, the tipping point on cultivars has more to do with availability and price, than any real flavor differences. The large Virginia peanuts are a favorite, because they're easy to shell, and the nuts inside are larger than many other varieties; however, they suffer from a lack of availability in my area, and when you can get them, they're substantially more expensive! The smaller, Valencia variety is less costly and more widely available here, though, so guess which one I mostly use?

The "green" versus "cured" debate is a little more complex. The main difference between these two states is the amount of moisture remaining in the peanut. Research shows that whereas "cured" peanuts typically carry about 10% moisture, "green" peanuts can have as little as 35%, or as much as 50%! As far as I can tell, the main differences between the two states are as follows:

• "green" peanuts typically cost more per pound (at least for individual consumers!), and since they always have a higher moisture content, a substantial portion of the extra cost is for water!

• because of the higher water content, the cooking heat more easily migrates to and through the actual nut within a "green" peanut pod - which translates to faster cooking, usually by some number of hours;

• some folks claim that the "green" nuts have a "fresher flavor". I have yet to detect this in a boiled peanut, and I've been eating both "green" and "cured" boiled peanuts most of my 68 years.

• uncooked, "cured" peanuts are much easier to acquire. Even though the merchants could get a higher dollar return on them, I rarely see any "green" nuts in the grocery; but at about this time of year - at least around here - the stores often have bags upon bags of the "cured" nuts at very reasonable prices.

With all that in mind, let's get this show on the road.

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Suggested Equipment:

• Slow-cooker (crock-pot) of sufficient size to hold your peanuts, with at least 1" freeboard
  
• Large slotted spoon
  
• Other common kitchen measures tools
  

Ingredients:

1. It's unlikely you have a crock that will hold this much, but this is how we buy the peanuts. We'll make several batches from this amount.
   
2. Per quart of cook water. If you have a little excess, it's OK.
   
3. Optional. This is the amount I use in a single charge of my 5-quart crock pot.
   

Item		Amount
Peanuts	"Green" or "cured", 5 or 10 lb bag	1	ea1
Salt	Common	¼	cup2
Red pepper	Dry, crushed, flakes	1	Tbs3
Water		to	cover

Directions:

1. Whether you use "green" or "cured" nuts, exercise due care in cleaning the pods. Peanuts grow in the ground, so it shouldn't be any big surprise that the pods may be carrying a load of dirt, along with any micro-organisms that live in the dirt. At the very least, cleaning should involve rinsing and washing with copious amounts of clean water and a vegetable brush, along with manual removal of any visible debris.

2. When using "cured" nuts, pre-soak them in fresh water for several hours - overnight even, if possible. To an extent, the longer the better the end results will be: soaking re-hydrates the peanuts in the same way that it re-hydrates dried beans! (I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that peanuts are a legume? 😎)

3. Fill the cooker with "green" or soaked, "cured" peanuts, until the cooker is filled to about 1" below the rim. If you want to add some special seasoning, this is the time to do it. I like to add about 1 teaspoon of dried hot red pepper flakes for each quart of nuts. Others have recommended using Old Bay® seasoning, chili powder, or Cajun seasoning. Mostly, I think those are a waste of time and spices.

4. Add brine to the cooker, ¼ cup salt per quart of water. The peanuts may try to float. If they do, then use whatever method you can devise to keep them submerged until you have added sufficient brine to cover them. Stop adding brine when the liquid level is about ½" below the rim while you hold the peanuts submerged.

5. Place the lid on your slow cooker and turn it on the "high" setting. For most cookers, this will not change the endpoint temperature, but it will get there faster. When the brine begins to boil, change the setting to "low". Once the brine has begun to boil, it doesn't need the extra heat provided on the "high" setting.

6. Check the cooker every 2-4 hours as needed, topping off, also as needed, with fresh water. You don't need to add any more salt - water can boil away, but it leaves the salt behind. You should also frequently "turn over" the nuts using the slotted spoon, since much of the time, the nuts on top will likely not be submerged in the hot brine.

7. After sufficient cooking time has lapsed (2 to 4 hours for "green" nuts, or up to 8 hours for "cured") start testing the state of done-ness by periodically opening and eating one of the nuts. It would be prudent to use the slotted spoon the retrieve the nut, and to rinse the nut under the cold water tap for a few seconds before trying this! When you are satisfied that your nuts are done, turn off the slow cooker and allow them to cool to eating temperature - then eat'em!

See? No secrets! And as of the date of this recipe, I've used this method with satisfactory results for around 15 years.