How to Make Boiled Peanuts: A Superfood for Hearts & Minds

Boiled peanuts are more than a Southern staple — they also hold some souped-up nutritional benefits!
That’s because boiling peanuts has a significant effect on their phytochemical composition, increasing their total flavonoid and polyphenol count,1 which are better known as antioxidants. In fact, boiled peanuts have nearly four times the number of antioxidants found in other kinds of peanuts.

These naturally-occurring nutrients have been linked to numerous health benefits, including cancer prevention, reduced inflammation and prevention against cardiovascular diseases.2,3

That’s in addition to all the other amazing benefits peanuts can offer, including:

  • A great source of vitamins like niacin, which supports your digestive systems, skin, nerves, and can protect against Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline4
  • An abundance of minerals, like magnesium (for healthy nerve and muscle function) and phosphorous (which helps convert food into energy)
  • Lower risk of mortality from all causes.5
  • Healthy hair, bones and teeth
  • Help with weight loss due to greater feelings of fullness6

And best of all? You can enjoy this superfood’s super benefits for yourself at home, thanks to this super easy recipe from the National Peanut Board7. Now let’s get cracking!

Cooking Supplies

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 large bowl
  • Jars or sealable bags (for storage)

Ingredients

  • 1 bag raw, green peanuts (in shell)
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Cajun seasoning (optional)

Time: 4 hours

Makes 4 Cups In Shell

Directions

  1. Add one cup of salt per gallon of water in a large pot. If you’re feeling spicy, add the cajun seasoning. If not, just add the raw peanuts.
  2. Cover the pot and bring the contents to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 4-6 hours, or until peanuts are tender. (Open the shell and taste to test, but be careful of the heat!)
  4. Once the peanuts are tender, turn the heat off and transfer the peanuts to a large clean bowl.
  5. Once they’ve cooled enough, serve immediately. Or, store in jars or sealable bags to enjoy later. Just make sure you do so with some of the liquid they were cooked in to keep them moist. They should keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Nutrition Information
Per 1 Cup Serving:
Calories: 200
Calories from Fat: 125
Fat: 13g
Trans fats: 1.9g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Carbohydrate: 13g
Protein: 8.5g
Fiber: 5g
Sodium: 473mg

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Sources

1. Chukwumah Y, Walker L, Vogler B, Verghese M. Changes in the phytochemical composition and profile of raw, boiled, and roasted peanuts. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Oct 31;55(22):9266-73. doi: 10.1021/jf071877l. Epub 2007 Oct 9. PubMed PMID: 17924703.
2. Tsao R. Chemistry and biochemistry of dietary polyphenols. Nutrients. 2010 Dec;2(12):1231-46. doi: 10.3390/nu2121231. Epub 2010 Dec 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 22254006; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3257627.
3. Kozłowska A, Szostak-Wegierek D. Flavonoids–food sources and health benefits. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2014;65(2):79-85. Review. PubMed PMID: 25272572.
4. Arya SS, Salve AR, Chauhan S. Peanuts as functional food: a review. J Food Sci Technol. 2016 Jan;53(1):31-41. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-2007-9. Epub 2015 Sep 19. Review. PubMed PMID: 26787930; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4711439.
5. Chen GC, Zhang R, Martínez-González MA, Zhang ZL, Bonaccio M, van Dam RM, Qin LQ. Nut consumption in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a meta-analysis 18 prospective studies. Food Funct. 2017 Nov 15;8(11):3893-3905. doi: 10.1039/c7fo00915a. Review. PubMed PMID: 28875220.
6. Tan SY, Dhillon J, Mattes RD. A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100 Suppl 1:412S-22S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071456. Epub 2014 Jun 11. Review. PubMed PMID: 24920033.
7. Boiled Peanuts. National Peanut Board, www.nationalpeanutboard.org/recipes/boiled-peanuts.htm. 29 July 2019.