Old Fashioned Blister Peanuts

Back in the old days, people used to soak raw peanuts in water to remove those thin, red skins before they roasted them. The residual moisture would interact with the oil during roasting and cause little bubbles or “blisters” to form on the outside of the nuts. Instead of being unwelcome, these serendipitous blisters added texture—ultimately creating a unique peanut snack.

Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Blister Peanuts harken back to these original “blistereds,” as they were once called. While water is no longer required to remove peanut skins (there are new technologies for that) our supplier still blanches extra large Virginia peanuts in hot water before roasting them in peanut oil and adding salt. The finished nuts are crisp, bubbly, and extra crunchy—a super swell snack if we ever did see one!