Boiled Peanut Season

boiled peanuts season

by Larry Jester

Louisiana “seasons” are defined differently than anywhere else on earth. Ours aren’t necessarily better than everyone else’s, however, they are most certainly unique.

So neglected is the culturally significant “Boiled Peanut Season,” Louisiana: the state which enjoys at least one festival every weekend of the year has none, that we can find, dedicated solely to (arguably) our second favorite “social food.”

Boiled peanuts are to the fall as crawfish are to the spring. They are maturing by pre-season football and “jumbo” by the time we are searching for fresh Nick Saban jokes.

We all have that cool uncle, neighbor, or town market that makes “the best” boiled peanuts around. Just as it is with crawfish season, everybody has an opinion on how they should be cooked and which seasonings should be used. Nobody believes that a little lemon can boost flavor

without all the sodium. They are wrong. I remember eating boiled peanuts out of a paper bag on the front seat of my pawpaw’s police car; sugar cane being harvested before my very eyes as we trekked north on LA-1. Everything that fell off the truck was fair game. Everywhere I’ve been since, I remember each of my senses during the harvest season.

In Louisiana, the beauty of this season lies not only within the length of the shadows, the coral sunsets, or even the occasional breeze; it is spending time with friends and family. As we gather together we find a way to turn the preparation and consumption of what was once considered peasant food into an event worthy of social celebration, as well as bragging rights.

It’s time to establish a boiled peanut festival. If you know of one that already exists please email us at moderngracemag@cox.net