Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fresh green peanuts - Get them while you can

Peanuts are currently being harvested and if you are lucky enough to be able to snag some fresh green peanuts, you are lucky. Did you know that North Carolina farmers produce approximately 102,666 planted acres of peanuts? This equals about 441 million pounds and ranks NC fifth in the United States in peanut production.

North Carolina peanut farmers produce 8% of the nation’s supply. The majority of NC peanuts are consumed out-of-hand as cocktail peanuts, instead of processed into peanut butter or other candies. Peanuts are super high in protein and Vitamin B. We often take peanuts for granted and being a major crop in the North Carolina picture of agriculture.

If you happened to never have tasted boiled peanuts, now is your chance. This damp salty snack is a staple at fall football games and other events. The basic salty boiled peanut is my personal favorite, but you can change them up by adding sweet and salty spices to your recipe.

Southern Boiled Peanuts 

(This recipe is borrowed from The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, but is a pretty common way to cook this treat, I have shared this before but it’s just a good one)

1 1/2 cups salt, divided, plus more to taste

2 pounds raw peanuts in the shell

Dissolve 1/2 cup salt in 2 gallons water in a 3-gallon stockpot; add peanuts. (Weigh down peanuts, if desired, with a large plate or lid to ensure they're fully submerged.) Soak 8 hours or overnight. *

Drain water; refill pot with 2 gallons water and remaining 1 cup salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 5 to 8 hours or until peanuts are tender, adding water as needed to keep peanuts covered; stir occasionally. (South Carolina-style peanuts are very soft, but some cooks prefer them al dente.) When the peanuts have boiled 3 hours, check for texture and saltiness. If the peanuts are not salty enough, add salt in 1/4-cup increments, turn off heat, and let soak 1 hour. Check peanuts for seasoning every hour.

Remove from heat, and cool 1 hour.

Drain and eat immediately or store (in the shell) in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Boiled peanuts will keep 7 days in the refrigerator, several months in the freezer.

*The soaking step is not essential, but it reduces the cooking time by a couple of hours and helps ensure that the peanuts cook more thoroughly and uniformly. The salt in the soaking liquid keeps yeasts and molds from developing overnight.

Buffalo Roasted Peanuts

3 cups raw/blanched peanuts

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons hot sauce (I like Frank’s)

3 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine butter, hot sauce, and spices together.  

In a bowl, toss peanuts with the buffalo sauce mixture until evenly coated.  Spread the peanuts across a baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven bake the peanuts as they will continue to cook once removed from the oven.  

Sesame Cucumber Salad with Raw Peanuts

2 large cucumbers, thinly sliced, can leave the peel on or remove according to your taste

2-3 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

¼ cup chopped raw peanuts

Dressing:

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon local raw honey

¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pinch of salt

In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients.  Refrigerate until serving.  

Place all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  

Just before serving add in the dressing and toss gently to combine.  Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Cajun Seasoned Boiled Peanuts

2 pounds raw peanuts in shells

1/3 cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 plus quarts water

Place a large 6-8-quart Dutch oven over high heat.  Add peanuts, salt, Cajun seasoning, crushed red pepper, liquid smoke, and garlic powder.  Pour in 4 quarts water, or enough to cover the peanuts when they are pushed down.  

Cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling stir well, then lower the heat to a mild simmer.  Cover and cook for 6-8 hours for raw peanuts.  Check the water level every hour and add warm tap water if needed.  

Easy Roasted Peanuts

2 cups raw peanuts

1 teaspoon salt

Place raw peanuts, in the shell or shelled, one layer deep in a shallow baking pan.  Sprinkle salt over the nuts.

Roast in a 350-degree oven, 15-20 minutes for shelled and 20 to 25 minutes for in shell peanuts.  

Peanuts will continue to cook as they cool, so remove them just short of your desired doneness.  

Sweet Candied Peanut Treats

3 cups white granulated sugar

1 ½ cups water

6 cups raw peanuts

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet or baking pan with baking spray and set aside.  

In a large saucepan, add sugar and water and heat over medium heat until sugar has melted, and you no longer see any sugar granules.  

Add peanuts, vanilla, and cinnamon.  

Continue to cook, stirring frequently until peanuts are sugar crusted and no liquid remains on the bottom of the pan when you stir.  

Remove from heat and place onto prepared baking sheet.  Spread peanuts out into as even of a layer as possible.  

Place in a preheated oven.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring at least once.  Remove from oven and stir to make sure there are no peanuts stuck to the pan.  Set aside to cool.  

Once completely cooled, store in airtight containers or baggies.  

Georgia Peanut Pie 

2 cups brown sugar 

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup butter melted

1/2 cup milk