About Us and Boiled Peanuts History

The Beginning - Ummm, now when did it start.

For us it started about 10 years ago when our children were in high school and playing sports. We were involved with the booster club and began helping with the concession stand. We were asked if we knew how to cook boiled peanuts and we said, sure we would try. And so we did. Then a friend passed our name on to our local civic center in 2004 and they called and ask us about doing peanuts for a Bull Riding show. Believe me, we had no idea it would evolve into a business. We then thought about trying the retail stores in 2006 and it has grown to today. God knew our needs and he provided. Little miracles always happen, if we just take time to notice them.

We want to always make sure our product is high quality, packaged with care and delivered or shipped to our customers in a timely manner.

On one of our first dates, we stopped and got hot boiled peanuts and went to a local lake and just sat on the pier eating boiled peanuts. Now after many years, we want to share their pleasure with everyone.

Sign our guestbook and share your stories about the enjoyment of fresh boiled peanuts.

History of Boiled Peanuts!

Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the south of the US since the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. In late August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of southern culture and cuisine.

Goober Fast Facts

* 2006 - On May 1, 2006, Gov. Mark Sanford came to York County and officially signed into law, H.4585, to make the boiled peanut South Carolina's official state snack food. Tom Stanford, a Winthrop University graduate, came up with the idea in a government class because he likes boiled peanuts.

* A Spanish explorer discovered peanuts in Peru in the 16th century.

* When Africans were brought to North America as slaves, peanuts came with them. Slaves planted peanuts throughout the southern United States (the word goober comes from the Congo name for peanuts - nguba). In the 1700's, peanuts, then called groundnuts or ground peas, were studied by botanists and regarded as an excellent food for pigs. Records show that peanuts were grown commercially in South Carolina around 1800 and used for oil, food and a substitute for cocoa. However, until 1900 peanuts were not extensively grown, partially because they were regarded as food for the poor, and because growing and harvesting were slow and difficult until labor-saving equipment was invented around the turn of the century.

* Around 1900, equipment was invented for planting, cultivating, harvesting and picking peanuts from the plants, and for shelling and cleaning the kernels. With these mechanical aids, peanuts rapidly came into demand for oil, roasted and salted nuts, peanut butter and candy. George Washington Carver began his research into peanuts in 1903 at Tuskegee Institute. This research led to the development of over 300 uses of the Peanut including soap, shampoo, cheese, mayonnaise, ice cream, medicine, ink, bleach, axle grease, and a wonderful snack.