knitxcore.: boiled peanuts.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

boiled peanuts.

boiled peanuts.

last week, we accidentally bought raw peanuts.
they don't taste very good.
i roasted them in the oven.

this week, i bought them on purpose.
the bag has instructions to make 'georgia-style boiled peanuts'.
i vaguely remember them from my childhood.

i jumped right into the two-day process of brining and boiling.

while they were soaking, i did a little research, as i have become obsessed with 'american heritage'.

"No one knows just why southerners started boiling peanuts or who was the first to boil them. However, it is believed that boiled peanuts have been a southern institution since at least the Civil War (1861-1865), when Union General William T. Sherman (1820-1891) led his troops on their march through Georgia. As a result of General Sherman's campaign in Georgia, the Confederacy was split in two and deprived of much needed supplies.

Contemporary writings are full of complaints of lack of bread and meat. The great concern of the Confederate government was to feed the army. When troops of the Confederacy were without food, peanuts were an important nutritional source. Since cooking facilities were scarce, soldiers roasted the peanuts over campfires or boiled them. It seems to be lost in history as to who came up with the idea of adding salt to the peanuts when boiling them. What they were doing by boiling in salt, is an ancient preservation technique. It was discovered that these boiled peanuts would keep and not spoil in their kits for up to seven day. The salt works as a preservative, and the boiling kills impurities and bacteria. This produced a high protein ration that could be carried by the soldier. As salt was also scarce during the Civil War, history doesn't tell us how the confederate soldiers had enough salt to use, unless salt meat, a large part of the army ration, was used somehow." -what's cooking america

I've been telling the story to anyone who will listen.
god, i'm so lame.

ATTN: DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES WHILE EATING THEM!!!!! THEY WILL BURN!!! IT IS REALLY HARD TO GET YOUR HEAD UNDER THE FAUCET.

this guy will show you how it's done (best accent EVER):



JallaPEnUS. JApANEENAS. BoY. i love this man.







8 comments:

Mel said...

I leeeerrrrrv bo'led peanuts! They are, hands down, one of my all time favorite snacks.

Sandra said...

you are my hero. <3 <3 <3

Laura Gerencser said...

I've never had them but they look good!

Vanessa (Australia) said...

Wow - he's just fantastic. Completely made our night!

jennifer said...

This Canadian girl is completely fascinated. I didn't even know that buying raw peanuts was possible! Must try this.

That little break to show us the cookbook cracked me up.

Keith said...

Hi Robbie! How r u? Had this super random idea I wanted to pitch your way... Could you pls send me an e? You got my addy, yeah? Seem to have misplaced yours...

LittleCanoe said...

YUM! I have to try this. I've never had boiled peanuts! I don't think we get much of that southern goodness up here in Portland.

Obsidian Kitten said...

Where I grew up in Georgia, they're called "BALD pea-nuss."

Oh gawd, I do love that man's accent, tho.

I remember thinking they were jsut slimy and disgusting as a kid.