A Yankee in Lil’ Mr. Goober’s Court: My first boiled peanut experience
On the 21st night of September, Earth, Wind & Fire says love changed the mind of pretenders.
Saturday, I think they were referring to the Bluffton State of Mind.
Saturday marked the 8th Annual Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival, which meant — for this Midwestern transplant — trying the “caviar of the South” for the first time.
“It’s an acquired taste,” one Bluffton resident told me.
Having just moved from St. Louis a little less than four months ago, I’m used to being made fun of for my hometown’s food choices. I’ll be the first to admit that “St. Louis Cuisine” is ... unique. Some may even say weird. I mean sure, we deep-fry our ravioli and call it “toasted” and cut our cracker-crust pizzas into squares. We also get our bagels sliced vertically at St. Louis Bread Co ... wait, sorry, Panera.
So, I went to the Boiled Peanut Festival in my new home with an open mind — the peanuts and the people did not disappoint.
The festival, organized by the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society and The Heritage Peanut Company, ran from 2 to 7 p.m. on the common grounds at the Heyward House in Old Town Bluffton. Upon arriving, I was greeted by Bluffton Historical Preservation Society Executive Director Kelly Graham who said he expected between 200 to 225 attendees at the festival.
People from all over the area trickled into the event in waves to experience three southern traditions: good food, live music and friendly conversation.
Jared Jester, one of the founders of the festival and a man other attendees referred to as “the peanut dude,” is the president of The Heritage Peanut Company. He manned the boiler and served up over 1,000 lbs. of traditional and spicy flavored nuts. I tried to ask Jester what was in the spicy flavor, but he refused to give away his famous secret recipe.
“The World’s Largest Boiled Peanut,” a more than 20 foot long nut made of plywood, chicken wire and spray foam sat as the backdrop for most of the attendees’ photos from the festival.
The all-you-can eat nuts were a hot commodity, as attendees lined up to fill their paper trays with as many as they could fit. Some even brought their own to-go bags.
While walking around the event, I tried to get an understanding of what makes a good boiled peanut and what this tradition means for the Lowcountry. The texture and taste of a boiled peanut was a lot different than what I was expecting. Jester compared the look and feel to a peanut-flavored “mini baked potato.”
The soft shell, boiled in water and salt, is easy to open and reveals two damp, light-colored legumes. They melt in your mouth. Honestly, they reminded me of peanut-flavored edamame. Although I still think I’ll be eating my crunchy peanuts at baseball games, I certainly wasn’t against this Southern treat.
“It’s a southern thing,” festival attendee Dawn Fedele said.
There are different ways to eat a boiled peanut. Bluffton residents Matt and Courtney Timen said this was their fourth year coming to the festival. Matt said he eats them like sunflower seeds — cracking the shell with his mouth and eating the nuts inside. Courtney peels the soft shell with her hands and picks the nuts out.
“There’s no right way to eat them,” Courtney said, laughing.
Matt said boiled peanuts are all about southern food and hospitality.
“It brings people together with good, easy-to-make food,” he said.
Bluffton resident Cynthia Reed said she loves the flavor of the traditional boiled peanuts with just salt, but prefers the shell when it’s not too soft or soggy.
“I like that it’s hot,” Sienna Arquez, Reed’s 7 year old granddaughter added.
“Yes, I like that they’re warm,” Reed responded.
However, not all attendees were strong supporters of this southern delicacy.
Ginger and Tim Grady just moved to Bluffton from Connecticut and, despite attending the festival, were not too keen on trying the peanuts.
“They’re too slimy,” Tim said.
The event really kicked off just before 3 p.m. when local artists Evan Rose and Sweet D started playing their classic fiddle music on the main stage. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a food festival without a boiled peanut cook-off to win the title of “Best Nuts in Town.”
As the music of Evan Rose and Sweet D echoed around Old Town Bluffton, attendees of all ages sat around the common ground and shared stories, cold beers and boiled nuts.
“I love everything about them,” one attendee said about the peanuts. “It’s my childhood.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2019 at 1:21 PM with the headline "A Yankee in Lil’ Mr. Goober’s Court: My first boiled peanut experience."
