Peanut Patch Boiled BBQ Peanuts
Photo courtesy of Kent Whitaker
By Kent “The Deck Chef” & Ally Whitaker
thedeckchef@hotmail.com
When I reviewed several items a few issues back for barbecue lovers and foodie gift ideas I had several items left over from companies still needing reviews. I’ll provide those reviews along with my normal articles over the next few months.
Some may ask what boiled peanuts have to do with barbecue? Well, if you’re from the South then you really don’t have to ask. Knocking back a few peanuts during a smoking session, boiled, roasted, smoked, salted or raw is a common thing. Plus, the Peanut Patch Boiled Peanut brand sent me barbecue flavored boiled peanuts to try. What is the best way to review the taste and quality of a canned peanut product? I figured the best way to do it would be to enlist the help of my wife Ally who is a self professed boiled peanut expert. I can promise you that my bride has the ability to seek out a boiled peanut stand anywhere in the south.
Peanut Patch is a canned boiled peanut product which is produced by McCall Farms in South Carolina and is the same company which produces the Margaret Holmes brand of canned vegetables. Peanut Patch is the number one brand of boiled peanuts in the world. The company has been boiling and canning their homegrown green peanuts for generations. The canning operation is located right on their farm which allows for the peanuts to be boiled and canned only a few hours after they are harvested in order to keep them fresh.
I decided that a blind taste test was needed using Ally and a few other taste testers. I bought some boiled peanuts from a local source that WERE NOT Peanut Patch peanuts. All four types of boiled peanuts were placed in separate bowls, three flavored from Peanut Patch and the local peanuts. Nothing was marked.
Texture Test
We sampled the Barbecue flavored, Cajun Flavored and Original from Peanut Patch, as well as a plain/original version from a local market. All three of the Peanut Patch versions had the same texture and feel that you would expect from a in-shell boiled peanut that you would prepare at home. There didn't seem to be any fall off in the quality that you would expect from homemade or FRESH country store bought boiled peanuts. In fact those fresh country store boiled peanuts you bought may very be Peanut Patch boiled peanuts! The company has a large distributorship with convenience stores across the South who sell Peanut Patch Peanuts hot and ready-to-go!
The boiled peanuts that were NOT Peanut Patch peanuts from our local produce market stood out like a sore thumb in look and texture. All four testers agreed that all varieties of the Peanut Patch brand were much better than the competitor. Essentially the testing ended there because everyone knew which ones were the Peanut Patch Peanuts.
Flavor & Fresh Test
It was a hands down win for Peanut Patch boiled peanuts over the produce stand product as far as flavor is concerned. The same is true with the product being fresh. The Peanut Patch canned product was much fresher than the peanuts bought from the produce stand. Our opinion was that we really had no idea how long those peanuts had been simmering in that crock pot! The Peanut Patch peanuts tasted fresh even though they were from a can. In fact, the freshness was amazing compared to the produce stand batch.
Taste
Once again the Peanut Patch peanuts whipped the produce stand peanuts hands down. There was no comparison between the plain flavored Peanut Patch and the produce stand version. The general comment was that the produce stand peanuts tasted "dirty" while the Peanut Patch peanuts tasted... like peanuts! You can't beat that. As far as the flavored versions the Cajun had a slight advantage over the Original and Barbecue flavor. I enjoyed the Barbecue flavor, it was not overwhelming and was something different, which I always like to try.
Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts won an overwhelming thumbs up from Ally and our group of highly trained and professional peanut eaters.
PEANUT FACTS
Boiled Peanuts are a powerhouse snack — high in protein, fiber, and folic acid.
Boiled Peanuts contain mostly unsaturated fat and are a rich dietary source of heart-healthy resveratrol that may help reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer.
Info: Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts
1-800-277-2012
www.peanutpatchboiledpeanuts.com
Kent Whitaker is a culinary writer and cookbook author living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is the winner of the Emeril Live BBQ contest and winner of an American Authors Association Gold medal. Mr. Whitaker’s books are in bookstores nationwide and are available online. Visit him online at www.thedeckchef.com or twitter.com/theKentWhitaker. |
