Football Saturday in the South

Yup. That's right! The college football season is upon us once again. I have to admit I wait impatiently for this time of year beginning just after the college bowl season is over in January. 8 months of wandering aimlessly through the weekends, begging & praying for the Summer to end so I can follow my beloved Georgia Bulldogs. The typical Summer temperatures in Georgia hover in the mid 90's from late May through August. The real killer is the humidy...typically 90% or higher. The college football season will bring cooler temperatures that are a much welcomed relief to the area. I know the bees will appreciate it as well.

I have a ritual that I like to follow, it usually begins on Friday afternoon. I start by cleaning the deck & grill, icing down the Bud Light, getting the plasma tv & satellite hooked up outside and starting some boiled peanuts.

Boiled Peanuts? This is an obvious Southern favorite that I've enjoyed since I was a kid. I can remember stopping at roadside fruit/vegetable stands and getting fresh boiled peanuts. They are usually served hot, right off the fire! I use a turkey fryer that I purchased at Wal-Mart to cook them in. I use 8lbs. of raw peanuts in the shell, one container of table salt and fill the pot 3/4 full with water. I will boil them for 6-8 hours on Friday and I let them sit overnight to absorb the salt and allow for the nuts/shells to soften. I fire them up again about 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, add another container of salt, more water and leave them on a "rolling" boil for most of the day. By noon on Saturday they are close enough to being finished that I can start munching. They are best served hot, so I usually dip them right out of the boiling water and start eating them immediately. Making boiled peanuts is not a quick process. It usually takes a good 12-18 hours of cooking to get the perfect taste. I've been experimenting with this process for a couple of years and have just gotten it down to perfection (atleast I think so!)

Note: The keys to great tasting boiled peanuts are salt (lots of it!) and time, time & more time. Anyone on a low salt diet should not eat boiled peanuts! ! !