Parched Peanuts Recipes

ROASTED PEANUTS

Steps:

• *Cooks note: If eating peanuts roasted right out of the shell, use Virginia or Valencia peanuts. If utilizing roasted peanuts to make peanut butter, use Spanish peanuts as they have a higher oil content.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rinse the peanuts under cool water to remove excess dirt. Pat dry and place in a large bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt until well coated.
• Place on 2 half sheet pans, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Once you remove the peanuts from the oven, let them cool slightly before eating. They will continue to "cook" and become crunchy as they cool.
• If using peanuts to make peanut butter, remove shells and discard. Remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts.

BOILED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Wash the peanuts in cool water until the water runs clear. Soak in cool water for 30 minutes to loosen any remaining dirt.
• Drain and rinse the peanuts. Add the peanuts to a 12-quart pot along with the salt and 3 gallons of water. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Check the texture of the peanut at this point for doneness. When done, boiled peanuts should have a similar texture to a cooked dry bean. It should hold its shape, but not crunch when bitten. Add more water throughout the cooking process, if needed. If necessary, continue cooking for 3 to 4 hours longer.
• Drain the peanuts and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• *Cook's note: The cooking time can vary greatly depending on how fresh the peanuts are. The fresher the peanut, the less time it will take to cook.

SPICED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Place peanuts in a small bowl; drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Combine sugar and seasonings; sprinkle over nuts and toss to coat., Transfer to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 300° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. , Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.

BOILED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Wash the peanuts and place them in a pot. Add salt and water. Bring the water to a boil.
• Let the water boil for 3 hours.
• Taste the peanuts, if they are not salty enough for your taste add more salt. If you would like the peanuts to be softer, return the water to boil and cook until they reach the consistency you desire.

BASIC OVEN ROASTED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Place raw peanuts, in shell or shelled, one layer deep in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle salt over.
• Roast in a 350 degree F oven; 15 to 20 minutes for shelled and 20 to 25 minutes for in shell peanuts.
• Remove from heat just short of doneness desired, as peanuts continue to cook as they cool.

ROASTED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Arrange peanuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and place in the preheated oven.
• Turn oven off. Leave peanuts in oven for 1 hour without opening door. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEWY SALTED PEANUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides; grease foil. In a small bowl, mix flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle peanuts over crust., In a small saucepan, melt butterscotch chips, corn syrup and butter over medium heat; stir until smooth. Drizzle over peanuts. Bake until bubbly, 6-8 minutes longer. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into bars.

ROASTED AND SALTED PEANUTS IN THE SHELL

Steps:

• Heat the water to boiling. I use our electric water boiler which holds 7 cups, so need to do it in two batches. In a large, 5-6 quart, heat safe container, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the peanuts, stirring so that everyone is submerged and coated with the brine. Take a plate or pie pan and set it on top of the floating peanuts to make sure they stay that way. Stir them once every hour over the next 5 hours.
• After 5-6 hours, pour off the water using a colander or strainer and rinse slightly. You'll be amazed at how much dirt has come off of them, but they are a natural product grown in the soil. And in my case, the produce market is somewhat "open air" and the bins are not covered, so the birds like to sort through them for loose nuts. You'll want to get the dirt off, but if you over rinse, you'll also remove too much of the salt.
• On two half-sheet pans, it might take more if you have smaller cooking sheets, place a baking cooling rack in side. I use ones that have both the vertical and horizontal wires. Divide the peanuts between the racks and allow them to dry. Depending on the relative humidity of the house, this could take the better part of 2-3 days. Stir occasionally. You might be able to speed this up with a food dehydrator or placing them in front of a fan.
• When the nuts are dry, remove the baking racks from the pans. Put the racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring at the 15 minute mark. Check them at 25 and again at 30, depending on how roasted you like them. I have a smallish oven, so do them on two racks, and also switch racks at the 15 minute mark. The nuts roast best when they are in a single layer.
• If you want to roast them without salt, you must still wash the nuts, but as they are not soaked in the brine, they will take less time to dry out.
• If you wanted to make "hot" or spicy nuts, some liquid hot sauce into the brine would work, but I've not had that request, so can't tell you how much to use.
• This amount of brine could actually handle another pound of peanuts, but 2 pounds is about all we can eat in a reasonable amount of time.
• Also, 1/3 cup of peanuts, out of the shell is considered 1 serving. I have no idea how many peanuts in the shell would give you 1/3 cup!

DRY-ROASTED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Place a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add peanuts, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown all over. (If you notice any black patches on the nuts before they have turned golden brown, remove the pan from the heat; reduce the heat, then return the pan and continue.) Transfer peanuts to a large cutting board and coarsely chop. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in a cool place.