Saturday, July 16, 2011

The proper way to pop a peanut

We took a short trip on the Fourth of July weekend. On the way to our destination, we stopped and had dinner at Five Guys. If you've never had their burgers (we hadn't), you should. Yum!!

Five Guys has peanuts available for snacking on while the "real" food is being made. The kids were thrilled to get to open and eat peanuts, but they were having some trouble with it. I started showing Chickie how to do it.

"You just crush a peanut to open it," The Engineer told me.

What?! How was it possible that I'd been married to this man for 11 1/2 years, and I'd never realized he didn't know the correct peanut opening technique?! My mom came from a family that loves to eat peanuts, so she taught me the process when I was young. I got down to business, showing my whole family...including The Engineer...how to properly pop a peanut.

I'm calling it "popping" because the shell really does kinda pop open...when you do it right, and when it's a cooperative peanut. I'm also calling it "popping" because I like a little lovely alliteration.

I took some photos while we continued to eat peanuts so that I could share this vital life skill with you.

1. Find the "nose" of the peanut...the little part that hooks down a bit.

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Actually, I guess first you should clean under your fingernails. Not sure what I got under mine before taking these photos, but...ew, sorry!

Please note, you're looking for the nose, not...

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...the butt. Got it?

2. Once you've found the nose, put your thumb underneath it, with your fingers on the opposite side of the peanut, like so...

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3. Now, squeeze. The "seam" of the peanut should start to open.

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4. Continue to squeeze down the length of the peanut to open the rest of the seam.

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It's kinda nice to use both hands. If you aren't trying to take photos while you're popping the peanut, that is.

5. After just a couple of seconds, you should have an open peanut, with the yummy parts just waiting to be plucked out of the freshly-popped shell!

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Aaah...it's pleasant to partake in a perfectly-popped peanut.

6 comments:

SurvivorBlessing said...

I knew that! Does that make me officially smart???

Toni said...

I'll remember this! Thanks.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

Good grief. Does he need chewing directions too?

(Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Got the idea now? No, no, no. You can't do two ups in a row. Up then down, up and then down...)

Mellodee said...

However did I reach my advanced age without EVER learning the practicul and purposeful procedure and proper process for partaking of the pleasures of a perfectly popped peanut? Pitiful!


Alliteration is awesome!

Call Me Cate said...

I have been saved from a bleak existence of improperly opened peanuts. Thank you, Beth!

Construction Cleaning New York City said...

Very thougghtful blog