The Ds and I got him his birthday gift a few weeks ago. . .a Yeti cooler for his ride. We managed to find it in the ever-elusive gray color.
We will celebrate later today with a cake. I am hoping Hilo will not be as crazy as it was this past week.
Whenever it's Merrie Monarch Festival time, the town takes on a whole different persona. We get inundated with visitors. This is great for our economy but creates havoc with the normal flow of business and traffic. Nakaz said it took him close to an hour to get from his place (just across the "Singing Bridge") to Target! To put it in perspective, it took The Help, D2 and I about an hour to drive the entire length of the Saddle Road!
In an attempt to escape the craziness in Hilo, The Help, D2 and I ventured to the other side of the island. Apparently, the rain had the same idea and met us in Kona! Upon embarking on our journey, we passed a familiar sight...the pop-up tent on the side of the road selling boiled soybeans and peanuts, two of D2's favorite snacks.
Over the past few months, I've made multiple attempts to perfect boiled peanuts in the Instant Pot. I have found that the ideal cooking time is somewhere between 8-15 minutes. If you prefer your peanuts on the crunchier side, go for 8 minutes. If you prefer them softer, then go for 15 minutes. A 6-quart Instant Pot will hold a pound of raw (dried) peanuts.
Many other recipes suggest using something inside the pot to keep the nuts submerged. I have never done that. I find that by allowing the pressure to come down naturally (about 45 minutes) and waiting an additional 15 minutes, the peanuts will all be submerged when the pot is opened. This wait time allows the brine to penetrate and flavor the nuts.
If you prefer to make this the conventional way, I posted a recipe a few years ago. You can find the post here.
click on recipe title for printable recipe
1 pound raw peanuts (dried)
1 1/2 quarts water
3 tbsp rock salt
2 star anise
Place all ingredients in Instant Pot. Place a heat-proof plate on peanuts to keep submerged. Set cooking time for 8 minutes (crunchy nuts) to 15 minutes (softer nuts) on high pressure. When cooking is done, leave for 60 minutes before removing from pot. Drain and serve.
