Question of the Week - Green Boiled Peanuts

[Guest guest]

We don't have boiled peanuts in L. A. Judy sent me a can, I loved them.

Donna

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

[Guest guest]

      I don't know if I've ever had " green " boiled peanuts, but I've had the

kind that people

sell at little stands along the road, or in a corner of a farmers' market or in

the snack section

of a southern-states' convenience store.  I've had both the plain and the

" cajun-hot pepper " kind.

I love boiled peanuts.  I'd love to try the FRESH " green " ones, too, but,

alas!--I live in the middle of Illinois and no one here has a clue what boiled

peanuts are!  I did find (and still look for them

when I'm out shopping) in a Meijer produce department: cello bags of raw,

un-roasted, un-salted in-the-shell peanuts.  THOSE do make pretty good boiled

peanuts, which I do up once in a while in my crock-pot. 

 

     What is it about these things that makes them so appealing?  My sister said

she tried them once and thought they were awful.  I think they're

wonderful--sort of a creamy texture...with just a little saltiness (apart from

the salt-soaked shell, of course!), and neither a " beany " nor a

" peanut-butter-y " taste...However it might be described, the taste is appealing

(for me, almost addictive).

 

      Summer activities and foods....Question of the week.  Well, I don't get to

do it anymore, but

as a kid, we lived in a subdivision that was bounded by a raised-up railroad. 

All along the slope on both sides of the tracks, wild stuff grew--including a

lot of wild raspberry (the dark purple kind) canes.  My brother, my sister, and

I and often (when they were visiting us), some of my cousins from Connecticut,

would all swarm along the sides of the slope and go for berries.  I don't really

know how much we were able to pick, but I do remember Mom making pies

occasionally from what we brought home.  I LOVED doing this.  I loved eating the

berries, too.  The thorny canes never seemed to be a problem; we all wore tennis

shoes and just pushed the canes down with our feet to get to the " best "

berries--which always seemed to be just out of reach!

 

     It wasn't until I was grown and almost married that I tasted blackberries. 

We NEVER, ever found wild blackberries, even though my folks always had some

kind of wooded or wild-growing areas near where we lived--and raspberries grew

there.  I learned much later that it was because we also seemed to always have

walnut trees in our " berry-ing " territory.  If a black walnut tree--or trees--is

growning anywhere, there is likely to be raspberries nearby.  (I've since proven

this theory over and over by personal observation and experience.)  However,

there will NEVER (or it's highly unlikely) be BLACK berry canes growing near

walnut trees. 

 

     My DH (dear husband) grew up picking wild blackberries with HIS grandma in

southern Illinois.  SHE would also gather hickory nuts to make pies and a snack

mix with.  I think there is some kind of symbiosis between hickory and

blackberries  that's similar to walnut and black raspberries.  Anyway, between

the 2 of us, the summer food activity that we both seem to remember is picking

cane-berries with relatives and/or friends.  I'd love to go and do that again,

but now the families of origin have no longer any place for us to do the

berry-hunting.

 

     NOW, my favorite summer " food " activity seems to be going to our farmers'

market each week or so.  They set it up 3 times a week, but I've tried to not be

greedy.  It's so hard to resist when I see SO MANY really GOOD and interesting

vegetables at the stalls.  I want some of EVERYTHING!  So, I get a couple of

" earth-bags " and they get filled...I tote the bags to my car and usually get it

all back home.  THEN, I say to myself, " I can't go back to the market until I

use this all UP! "   I try, at least.  I have had a few things that were so

plentiful--I bought too much or too many...and had to pitch it out when it

didn't get used before it spoiled.  But I still LOVE having all the FRESH things

to cook, make salads from, put in fruit bowls and so on.  When the market closes

in October, I really MISS the weekly  trips!

 

     There's probably other things I could think of, but those are what come to

mind.

 

    Peace!

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I wouldn't know a boiled peanut if it hit me on the head. I have never heard of

this in my life.

Interesting. I learn something new in the great group each day.

 

Jeff