Boiled Peanuts


These are a popular treat in Hawaii. It takes a little getting used to for some people, because the texture is not as crunchy as roasted peanuts. It's similar to eating the popular Japanese boiled eda mame (soy beans in pods). These are wonderful with cold beer on a warm Summer afternoon!

1 1/2 lb. Raw Peanuts in shell 
1 Tbl. Hawaiian Rock Salt 
Mix salt in a large pot with about 3 quarts of water. Stir until most of the salt is dissolved. Add the raw peanuts; there should be enough water to completely cover the peanuts. The peanuts will tend to float to the surface, so if you have a wooden drop-lid (the Japanese otoshi-buta) use it to keep the peanuts immersed as you bring them to a boil. If you don't have a drop lid, cover the pot with a regular lid. Stir occasionally so all the salt dissolves, and simmer for about 45 minutes. As in cooking noodles or eda mame, the trick is not to overcook these...so don't forget about these and leave them on the burner for a couple of hours like I did last time! (They came out too soft.)

Drain and cool before serving. Before eating, first remove the outer shell. (Don't laugh...if you've never had them this way before, you may not know. Some friends of mine in Hawaii watched in amazement as an adventurous mainland tourist ordered a lau lau for the first time and started to eat the outer ti leaf until the waiter ran over and told him not to.)

You can keep these up to a week or so in the refrigerator.