Cajun John tells me he spent some time in Connecticut once and found the lifestyle “too fast” Gave some thought to selling boiled peanuts up there but says Northerners have no clue what they are. He was happy to come home.
I met Cajun John at a busy intersection here in Wakulla County (Yes, they do have busy intersections here). He has been selling these boiled peanuts for 15 years. I asked him about the recipe and all he said was that “they are made from special spices” My very first experience with boiled peanuts came from a can:
When I was living up east, someone I knew from the south was visiting the city and offered me the can, I took it and proceeded to taste- OMG! they eat this?? Was my first take. I actually used another word to describe what I had tasted. I have since learned that boiled peanuts from the can and the kind you get at roadside here is as different as night and day.
Plus you get something a lot better when you buy these peanuts from a road vendor- you get Cajun John and a good conversation. Cajun John tells me the business is not so good “nobody has any money” he says. He talked a little politics and about the community and some health issues, he does not like Wal-Mart and thinks that many things in this country are structured around those who already have money. It was a pleasure talking to him; I told him that I would be back. – Try getting that out of a can!
The ‘real” boiled peanuts do take some to get used to, they are kind of soggy and such and I think an acquired taste, How do you make them? Basically raw peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled. This can be done inside on the stove or outside on a propane burner for a larger volume. Depending on the locality, some cooks use rock salt or standard table salt, or both. The boil can go on from four to seven hours or more, depending on quantity and the age of the peanut (green "raw" peanuts cook faster and tend to be better tasting), and the boilings will most often be of several gallons of water. Flavorings such as ham hocks, hot sauce, Cajun seasonings or beer can be added to the boil.
I usually finish just half of the bag and give the rest to my dog max, he loves peanuts.
From Wikipedia - Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of southern culture and cuisine.
Cajun John had two pots-a-boiling:
One was regular and the other Cajun. I bought a bag of the regular, I have not tried the Cajun yet, that’s probably another post! :o
