Cooking Tips: Boiled Peanuts Are Better Than Store-Bought in Just a Few Simple Steps

Boiled peanuts are a rustic dish but many people are fascinated by their sweet, soft and easy-to-eat taste. Not only is it an ideal snack, peanuts are also rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium, folate and many nutrients that are good for the heart, brain, and help prevent diabetes, gallstones and cancer. However, many people who boil peanuts at home often experience the seeds being dry, hard, less sweet and easily blackened. The main reason is due to incorrect boiling methods.

Making

1. Wash peanuts with flour

Newly purchased peanuts are often covered in mud. To clean them, put the peanuts in a basin of water, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour, stir well and soak for 20 minutes. The flour helps pull the mud and sand to the bottom of the basin. Then change the water twice, scrub gently like washing clothes to make the peanut shells clean and shiny.

2. Gently press the skin to let the spices soak in evenly.

Use your thumb and index finger to gently press the ends of the peanuts to crack the shells slightly. The cracks will help the spices penetrate deeper into the peanuts instead of just sticking to the outside.

3. Add spices when boiling

Put peanuts in a pot, cover with water. Add about 20g salt/kg peanuts, add 1 teaspoon sugar to make the salty taste stronger. You can add star anise, bay leaves, chili or pepper to create aroma.

4. Boil and soak peanuts to make them soft and sweet.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover and cook for about 45 minutes. Turn off heat, soak peanuts in boiling water for at least 1 hour to let the seeds absorb flavor, soften and retain their beautiful color.

Finished product:

Properly boiled peanuts have soft, rich, aromatic seeds, bright-colored shells and are not blackened. This is a healthy snack, however, because peanuts are quite high in fat and calories, you should eat them in moderation, especially if you are on a weight loss diet.