Boiled peanuts have become one of the most beloved snacks in the southern states of the United States. If you aren’t familiar with boiled peanuts it is pretty self-explanatory, it is green peanuts (still in the shell) boiled in saltwater.
Boiling the peanuts helps release the amazing flavours and nutrients from the peanut shell. Once the peanuts are boiled, they become flavorful and soft the perfect snack for the soul.
Now that you know a little bit about what boiled peanuts are, what are canned boiled peanuts? They are essentially boiled peanuts that are immediately canned, doing so preserves its shelf life without losing its delicious taste.
You might ask, are canned boiled peanuts necessary?
Here are some top 3 reasons why canning boiled peanuts is a great alternative:
- It takes ninety to a hundred days to grow peanuts and is only available from May to November in the southern states, every year.
- Boiled peanuts have a very short shelf-life, to preserve them you must refrigerate of free them—losing its delicious flavour.
- With its short shelf-life, once you leave them out for 3 to 4 days they start to become slimy and smell bad.
By canning boiled peanuts, people are able to have an endless supply for boiled peanuts all year-round.
Historical Facts about Boiled Peanuts
Whether you’ve been eating boiled peanuts since you were little or have never tried them before, here are some interesting facts about the origins of boiled peanuts and its historical significance.
Boiled peanuts have become a nutritious staple in the South since at least the Civil War (1861-1865) where Union General William T. Sherman (1820-1891) and his troops marched through Georgia. During the campaign in Georgia, the Confederacy broke into two because of the lack of supplies. Know how something as simple as boiled peanuts became a huge staple in southern culture in the following facts:
- According to contemporary writings, there was a huge scarcity of bread and meat to feed the Confederate army. They relied on peanuts as a nutritional source and started roasting and boiling them over campfires.
- For ages, salt has become a useful technique in preserving all kinds of foods, to make boiled peanuts last for a couple of days, soldiers would add salt into the pot while boiling the peanuts.
- It was found that boiled peanuts would last in the soldiers’ kits for up to seven days.
- Boiled peanuts were pronounced like, “boil p-nuts”, keeping the “ed” silent.
- It has been a long-standing tradition to combine salted peanuts and a bottle of coke together in the South. Where a pack of salted peanuts would be dumped into the bottle. This combination was inspired by the old boiled peanuts.
Nutritional Facts about Boiled Peanuts
Aside from its flavorful taste, there are a lot of health benefits that you can gain from boiled peanuts. Find out what nutrients are packed inside that small peanut shell in the following facts:
Fact #1
Canned boiled peanuts possess a lot more antioxidants compared to roasted or plain raw peanuts. In a study by the Department of Food and Animal Sciences at Alabama A&M University, it was found that boiled peanuts can bring out four times the number of phytochemicals thank dry, raw or roasted peanuts.
Fact #2
The phytochemicals produced by boiled peanuts have antioxidant qualities which can protect cells against degenerative diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Fact #3
Boiled peanuts can help keep a healthy heart. Boiled peanuts contain a plant chemical found in red wine called resveratrol. Studies have found that this plant chemical has a protective effect against cancer and heart diseases.
Fact #4
In a research paper published in the journal, Science Translational Medicine, it was found that resveratrol, has great potential in treating a wide variety of human diseases because it remains effective even after the body metabolizes.
Fact #5
Boiled peanuts are full of protein. In fact, half-cup of peanuts provides about 24 grams of protein. That is 47 per cent of the recommended amount of protein an individual should eat in a day.
Fact #6
Peanuts are a good source of fat, which can help raise an individual’s good cholesterol levels. In a study conducted by Purdue University, 151 men and women who were of normal weight with no diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension or gastrointestinal disease participated in a 12-week study wherein they would incorporate peanuts into their daily diet. Before and after 12 weeks blood samples were gathered and examined for comparison.
It was found that there was a decrease in blood pressure. The research claims that such results may be due to the arginine in the peanuts—a nitric oxide—because peanuts contain arginine more than any other whole-food or nut out there.
Fact #7
Boiled peanuts also contain isoflavones. They are antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Fact #8
Peanuts and weight loss have long been known for being a very effective combination. Despite having a relatively high caloric value of peanuts are still a great source of energy that can keep you going for longer periods of time.
In fact, a well-rounded weight loss program can even include regular servings of peanuts and peanut butter. Keeping canned boiled peanuts as a snack instead of animal fats like cheese, you’ll be less like to pack on the pounds.
With that said, an unrealistic weight-loss program based on just a single food (like peanuts) won’t magically deliver the results you want and will lack other essential nutrients your body needs. Remember, things are best when in moderation!
If you would like to learn more about canning other food, you should check my post on canned ramen and canned lobster.
