why do people boil peanuts in the shell

The process of boiling peanuts draws antioxidants from their shells. The boiled peanuts have four times the antioxidants of raw or roasted peanuts. Boiled peanuts have also been studied as a potential way to treat people with peanut allergies since boiling peanuts denatures proteins that trigger allergic reactions.

Eatin’ Goober Peas

By the time the Civil War arrived, then, Southerners—including white Southerners—had been eating peanuts for quite a long time, and it does seem that Confederate troops ate their fair share of peanuts during the war. What is puzzling is why so many pop histories insist they did so out of necessity because they couldnt get their hands on more preferred foods.

Along with chicory and okra, peanuts were frequently discussed in wartime papers and journals as a substitute for coffee. With the blockades cutting off imports, Southerners also turned to peanut oil as a substitute for whale oil. “During the war just closed,” the North Carolina Advertiser noted in October 1865, “this oil was used universally in our machine shops.”

“When it comes to peanuts meant for eating, though, they were, if anything, a luxury that soldiers greatly missed, not a wartime necessity.”

When it comes to peanuts meant for eating, though, they were, if anything, a luxury that soldiers greatly missed, not a wartime necessity. The legume, the Jackson Clarion of Mississippi reported in 1866, “was much sought for during the war by the soldiers from that region, called goober-grabblers. Indeed they never fought better than with a goober patch in their rear; then they felt at home.”

That same sentiment is captured in the (somewhat) famous Civil War diddy, “Goober Peas,” which was apparently a favorite among Confederate troops and was printed as sheet music in New Orleans in 1866 (The words and music are attributed A. Pindar and P. Nutt, respectively, who may or may not have been the Gilbert and Sullivan of their generation.)

If its catchy refrain alone isnt sufficiently celebratory (“Peas! peas! peas! peas! eating goober peas! Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!”), the songs last verse clearly depicts a beloved peacetime treat, not a wartime substitution:

So it seems soldiers were eating peanuts not out of desperation, but because they really liked the things.

That said, its very unlikely that when the troops got their hands on some peanuts that they would have ended boiling them in a pot. Peanuts grow on low, green vines, and they are quite unusual in that, after pollination, their flower stalks actually bend and burrow into the earth, where the fruit develops underground into the pods we know as peanuts. In the old days, farmers harvested them with pitchforks, turning the roots out of the ground and shaking away the dirt from the peanut pods. (Today they use motorized “digger-shaker-converter” equipment that scoops, shakes, and flips the vines.)

So-called fresh “green” peanuts are highly perishable due to their high moisture content, and they will go bad if not cooked or air-dried within a few days of coming out of the ground. Before the days of mechanical processing, the vines were stacked in rows in the fields and allowed to cure for two weeks until the pods were dry enough to be picked off. Only then were the raw peanuts ready for transport or roasting.

African Americans, though, had long had a proven way to prepare fresh green peanuts. W. H. Shelton, a captured Union soldier who escaped from a Columbia, South Carolina, prison camp in 1864, made his way eastward toward Charleston and along the way was given food by some of the African American freedmen he encountered. On multiple occasions he was provided with “boiled peanuts, which was a favorite way of cooking when the bean was too green to bake.”

Boiled peanuts, in other words, were a seasonal preparation available only during the peanut harvest, which usually runs for about six weeks between August and October. As best as I can tell, long after roasted peanuts were being enjoyed all over America, the only people boiling them were black Southerners. And proper boiled peanuts really couldnt be anything but a Southern treat, since once you get past Virginia there wouldnt be fresh green peanuts to use. And, while plenty of white Southerners were growing peanuts by the time of the Civil War, they left no records of boiling them.

Ditching the Myths

Once you start looking seriously into the matter, it becomes clear that the peanut encapsulates not one but three of the most pernicious myths that are rampant in popular histories of Southern food:

• Just about every Southern food was created or popularized during the Civil War, typically out of necessity and deprivation.
• Everything Southern began as an elevation of low, common ingredients.
• Nothing exists until white people discover it.

A capsule history at the website for the Columbia, South Carolina Convention and Visitors Board sums up the typical line: “It is said that during times of war when soldiers were in need of nutrition with high protein and without cooking facilities, they boiled peanuts over campfires. They discovered that these peanuts would not spoil for several days.”

The Whats Cooking America page on the history of boiled peanuts, an oft-cited source in skimpily researched articles, places it squarely in the Civil War, too. “No one knows just why southerners started boiling peanuts or who was first to boil them,” the explanation begins. “However, it is believed that boiled peanuts have been a southern institution since at least the Civil War (1861 to 1865), when Union General William T. Sherman (1820 to 1891) led his troops on their march through Georgia.”

Shermans march, the story goes, cut off Confederate supply lines, so soldiers turned to peanuts, “an important nutritional source. Since cooking facilities were scarce, soldiers roasted the peanuts over campfires or boiled them.”

Some accounts do note in passing that peanuts were brought to the South by African slaves, but apparently the plants just lingered around somewhere until some resourceful Confederates (i.e. white guys) figured out what to do with them.

Such Civil War tales, as best as I can tell, have it pretty much completely backwards. Boiled peanuts, like so many other iconic Southern foods, begin with black Southerners, not whites.

Best Boiled Peanut Recipe

FAQ

Are you supposed to eat the shells of boiled peanuts?

Why do Southerners eat boiled peanuts?

What do people use boiled peanuts for?

What are the benefits of boiled shelled peanuts?

What does boiling peanuts in the shell do?

Boiling peanuts in the shell is a time-honored southern delicacy that enhances both the flavor and texture of this popular snack. Flavor Absorption: Peanuts in the shell absorb the flavors of the boiling liquid, resulting in a more flavorful and savory snack.

What are the benefits of eating peanuts in the shell?

Peanut shells have the highest levels of antioxidants compared to other parts of peanuts, and roasted peanuts in shell have higher antioxidant capacity than blueberries. They also contain high amounts of fiber, which promotes satiety and weight control.

Why are boiled peanuts made with raw peanuts?

The cultural significance of boiled peanuts made with raw peanuts is particularly notable in the Southern United States, where the practice is deeply ingrained in local culinary heritage. Beyond tradition, the choice of raw peanuts enhances the overall flavor profile of the boiled peanuts.

How do you know if boiled peanuts are good?

Color: Boiled peanuts often take on a darker color due to absorbing the flavors of the brine. The shells may also crack, revealing the darker peanuts inside. Taste: Grab one, let it cool for a moment, and taste it. The peanuts should have a savory and well-seasoned flavor.