I Try It So You Don’t Have To: Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts

I have tried boiled peanuts in the past. At least 20 years ago, at some gas station in South Carolina, I think. I hated them. Since then, I have used them as a measuring stick to describe other items that were bland and mealy. I figured enough time has passed that it was time to give them another chance. I saw these Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts in a can on the shelf and had to go for it.

I opened the can and gave it the sniff test. No real strong scent to speak of: mostly salt water with a hint of peanut. More of a grassy smell than what you may think of as “peanut”.

They didn’t look particularly good, but canned foods rarely do.

The can gave me a couple of options for my tasting pleasure. “Open can and eat” or “Open can, heat, drain, and then eat.” I went for both. I grabbed one out of the can, smushed open the shell, and popped it into my mouth.

I was completely unprepared for the level of salt. It wasn’t overwhelming, but I expected something completely bland, so any flavor was a surprise. Without roasting, it still doesn’t scream “peanut,” but it was not bad at all. The texture was still a bit mushy, but I think maybe it is the canning process that renders them more like a canned chick pea than fresh boiled peanuts. Which is to say, they had more of a firm bite to them them than the grainy, mealy texture I remembered. I took the remainder and heated them in the microwave for two minutes in their brine.

Heating and draining the brine made them even better. It didn’t change much in texture, but the heat enhanced the flavor and brought out a bit more of the taste of the peanut itself. I was really pleasantly surprised by these briny beauties. I can see adding them in to something like a 3 bean salad for an interesting textural element and a burst of salty flavor.

Peanut Patch canned boiled peanuts get a surprising “Try It.”