How to Salt Unsalted Peanuts Already Roasted

Peanuts are some of the healthiest foods around. Including them in the diet regularly is good for the health. A little salt makes them more palatable. Sadly, salt sprinkled on unsalted roasted peanuts simply end up at the bottom of the container. And now you may be wondering what the proper way on how to salt unsalted peanuts already roasted is.

To salt unsalted roasted peanuts, sprinkle popcorn salt that sticks better than regular salt. Add salt to unsalted peanuts after heating them in a pan with or without oil — the heat will release peanut oils. Unsalted roasted peanuts may also be steamed and salted or soaked in brine and dried.

Fret not if you made the mistake of picking up unsalted roasted peanuts at the grocery store and are unhappy with the way they taste. Below, you will come across different methods on how to salt unsalted peanuts already roasted.

5 Easy Ways to Salt Roasted Peanuts

peanuts and salt

#1: Salt Peanuts By Soaking in Brine

Unsalted peanuts already roasted are available shelled and unshelled. Either way, there is a way to salt unsalted roasted peanuts. It’s by soaking them in brine for six to seven hours and then drying them in the oven or food dehydrator.

To make brine for one pound of unsalted peanuts already roasted, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 20 ounces of water. You may use just about any type of salt. Similarly, you may dissolve more or less salt in water, depending on how salty you want unsalted roasted peanuts to be. Experimenting with the ratio of salt to water is recommended.

Ingredients:

  • Salt
  • Water

Equipment:

  • Bowl with a cover
  • Spoon
  • Strainer
  • Oven or food dehydrator
  • Wax paper (if using an oven)
  • Baking sheet (if using an oven)

Procedure:

  1. Make brine by following the instructions above.
  2. Stir the solution with a spoon until no grain of salt remains.
  3. In a bowl, place unsalted peanuts already roasted.
  4. Fill the bowl with brine until peanuts are completely covered with it.
  5. Cover the bowl and leave it in a cool and dry place.
  6. Allow the bowl to sit there undisturbed for six to seven hours.
  7. Use a strainer to remove peanuts from brine.
  8. Dry peanuts using either an oven or food dehydrator.

What’s really nice about this method is that it works on shelled peanuts and unshelled peanuts, too. For as long as peanuts are already roasted and could use some salt, you may soak them in brine for several hours. Dissolved salt in water will be absorbed by peanuts. It will also get through the shells because peanut shell is a bit porous.

It goes without saying that using this method of salting unsalted peanuts already roasted will cause peanuts to be soggy. This is why they should be dehydrated as soon as they are removed from brine.

To dehydrate peanuts in the oven, follow these steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
  3. Spread peanuts on the baking sheet.
  4. Place the baking sheet with peanuts in the oven.
  5. Leave the oven door open by placing a wooden spoon between the door and the oven.
  6. Allow peanuts to dehydrate in the oven for 12 to 24 hours.

It’s a good idea to stir peanuts every one to two hours to ensure consistent dehydration. Also, remove the baking sheet with peanuts from the oven if it seems like peanuts are getting roasted.

Unfortunately, not all ovens offer many temperature options below 200°F. If you own one of them, fret not. All you have to do is set the oven to warm. Otherwise, shorten the amount of time peanuts spend in the oven and open the oven door further to allow excess heat to escape, thus preventing peanuts from getting roasted or burned.

If you have a food dehydrator, follow these steps:

  1. Spread peanuts in the tray of the food dehydrator.
  2. Set the food dehydrator to 100°F.
  3. If vents are around, open as many of them as possible.
  4. Dehydrate peanuts for 12 to 24 hours.

Unshelled peanuts may need to spend a longer time in the food dehydrator. After 24 hours, crack open one and check if the peanuts inside are already dry. If they are showing signs that they’re still moist, dehydrate peanuts for a few more hours until you are happy with the dryness of the peanuts.

Both an oven and a food dehydrator come with their own set of pros and cons when it comes to dehydrating peanuts soaked in brine. Choose a piece of equipment based on availability and your personal preference.

Related Post: How to Store Roasted Chickpeas

#2: Sprinkle Popcorn Salt

In some instances, something as simple as adding a little popcorn salt to unsalted roasted peanuts can put the dilemma to an end. This is especially true if you wish to snack on just a handful of roasted peanuts that taste blah.

What makes popcorn salt an excellent solution is that it’s finely ground. Compared to regular salt, which has larger grains, popcorn salt adheres to the little nooks and crannies of unsalted peanuts already roasted. As a matter of fact, some popcorn salt brands or varieties are being marketed as popcorn and nut salt.

Ingredients:

  • Popcorn salt
  • Melted butter (optional)

Equipment:

  • Airtight container

Procedure:

  1. Place unsalted roasted peanuts in an airtight container.
  2. Sprinkle a little popcorn salt on them.
  3. To make popcorn salt stick to peanuts better, a little melted butter may be added.
  4. Cover the airtight container and shake for a few seconds.

When adding melted butter, make sure that you opt for unsalted butter. Otherwise, unsalted peanuts already roasted might end up being too salty. If using melted salted butter, add a little popcorn salt only.

Similarly, some popcorn salt products in the market are flavored with butter. Be careful when using this kind of popcorn salt on unsalted roasted peanuts together with a little melted butter. If you add lots of butter-flavored popcorn salt, roasted peanuts might end up not only too salty but also too buttery.

Just in case you cannot get your hands on popcorn butter, worry not. That’s because you can turn regular salt into popcorn butter without any trouble. All you have to do is grind regular salt into a fine powder with the help of a food processor or coffee grinder. Keep on grinding and pulsing until you end up with finely ground regular salt.

#3: Steam and Salt

Popcorn salt sticks better to unsalted roasted peanuts alright. However, it’s for certain that some popcorn salt will still go straight to the bottom of the container, leading to wastage and having a less-than-stellar snack, too.

The good news is that there is an easy way to make sure that popcorn salt will stick so much better on unsalted peanuts already roasted. And it’s none other than steaming peanuts for a while before sprinkling popcorn salt on them. Refrain from being intimidated by this method because it’s so much simpler than it sounds!

Ingredients:

  • Water
  • Popcorn salt

Equipment:

  • Pot
  • Metal Strainer

Procedure:

  1. Boil some water in a pot.
  2. Once the water is already boiling, turn off the stove.
  3. Place unsalted roasted peanuts in a metal strainer.
  4. Place the metal strainer a couple of inches above the boiling water.
  5. Sprinkle a little popcorn salt on steamed peanuts.
  6. Gently shake the metal strainer left and right.

Steaming unsalted peanuts already roasted will make popcorn salt stick better. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to use popcorn salt — just about any other kind of salt will stick to steamed peanuts easily.

When going for this method of how to salt unsalted peanuts already roasted, make sure that you don’t place peanuts above the boiling water for a long time.

Otherwise, they might end up soaking wet. It’s a good idea to expose unsalted roasted peanuts to steam for less than a minute only. To ensure even coverage of steam, gently shake the strainer.

In case unsalted peanuts already roasted appear soggy, immediately transfer them to a small tray lined with a paper towel. Press a paper towel on them, too, to absorb excess water. Once they look a lot less damp, sprinkle popcorn salt (or your preferred kind of salt), transfer to a bowl, and enjoy.

#4: Heat in a Pan For 2 Minutes

Peanuts contain natural oils rich in vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant. Natural oils in peanuts are also packed with omega-9 fatty acids, which are proven to help increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol.

Heating unsalted peanuts already roasted causes some of the natural oils in them to come out. This is a good thing because it helps salt stick to peanuts without any trouble. An easy way to drive those natural oils to the surface is by heating peanuts in a pan for one to two minutes only to keep them from being roasted further.

Ingredient:

  • Salt

Equipment:

  • Pan
  • Wooden spoon

Procedure:

  1. On a stovetop, heat the pan using medium flame.
  2. Once the pan is hot, switch to low flame.
  3. Place unsalted peanuts already roasted in the pan.
  4. Heat for one to two minutes, constantly stirring.
  5. Remove pan from flame.
  6. Sprinkle salt on peanuts while stirring them.
  7. Transfer to a bowl.

Because heating unsalted roasted peanuts will cause them to be covered with their natural oils, salt will stick to them. It is a great idea to use popcorn salt. That’s because its small grains are lightweight, making it less likely for them to fall from peanuts, unlike the large grains of regular salt.

When it comes to heating unsalted peanuts already roasted to salt them, always remember to keep the amount of time they spend in the pan to a minimum. The goal is to keep peanuts from being roasted further and having a burnt taste.

#5: Heat in a Pan With Oil

In some instances, heating unsalted peanuts already roasted may not lead to the production of enough natural oils. This is especially true if the peanuts have been over-roasted or exposed to the elements for some time.

This is when the importance of adding a little oil to the pan while heating unsalted roasted peanuts in it comes in. Even if the peanuts produce only small amounts of their natural oils, the oil you add to the pan will make them sticky enough to catch salt.

By using healthy oil, the health-giving benefits of adding peanuts to the diet can be boosted.

Ingredients:

  • Oil
  • Salt

Equipment:

  • Pan
  • Wooden spoon

Procedure:

  1. Begin by heating the pan on a stovetop using medium flame.
  2. Switch to low flame the moment that the pan is already hot.
  3. Place unsalted peanuts already roasted in the pan.
  4. Add a little oil — just enough to coat the peanuts.
  5. While constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, heat peanuts for one to two minutes.
  6. Remove the pan from the flame.
  7. Sprinkle a little salt while stirring peanuts.
  8. Transfer to a bowl.

As you can see, this method consists of pretty much the same steps as the prior method. However, this time around, oil is added to unsalted roasted peanuts to make them stickier.

Refrain from using any oil that you can get your hands on. When it comes to heating unsalted peanuts already roasted in a pan with oil, it’s a must that you opt for oil that doesn’t have an overpowering taste which it may impart to peanuts. The good news is that you can choose from a number of oils. Some of the best for the job include:

  • Canola oil (rapeseed oil)
  • Corn oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Soybean oil

Always remember: The blander the oil, the better!

Just in case you accidentally add lots of oil, there is no need to throw the peanuts away. That’s because you can remove excess oil with some paper towels. Once the unsalted roasted peanuts are no longer very shiny and greasy, it’s time to sprinkle a little popcorn salt or any other salt that you like.

Worry not if you don’t have the time to reach for a pan, heat it on the stovetop, grab a bottle of oil, etc. You can use oil to make salt stick to unsalted roasted peanuts without the need to heat them in the pan.

All you have to do is follow these steps:

  1. In an airtight container, place unsalted peanuts already roasted.
  2. Add a few drops of oil.
  3. Cover the airtight container and shake for a few seconds.
  4. Remove the lid and sprinkle some salt on the peanuts.
  5. Place the lid back and shake the airtight container once again.

Before sprinkling salt, check if the peanuts are coated with oil. If it seems like they are not coated enough, add a few more drops of oil and shake the airtight container again. It’s a good idea to add a little oil at a time. You can always add oil if there’s not enough of it. On the other hand, it can be hard to remove oil if there’s too much of it.

Healthy Alternatives to Salt

There is no denying that salt can make roasted peanuts taste so much better. It’s possible to eat roasted peanuts without salt. However, for many people, unsalted roasted peanuts are not as enjoyable to eat as their salted counterparts.

While salt can improve the taste of roasted peanuts (and many others, too), unfortunately, too much of it can wreak havoc on your health in many ways.

Adding excessive amounts of salt to your diet may increase your risk of osteoporosis, kidney disease and stomach cancer. It may also put you at risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

According to health experts, you should limit the amount of salt you consume to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. That’s equivalent to around one teaspoon of salt.

However, it doesn’t mean that you should stay away from salt at all costs. The body needs salt for a variety of reasons. For instance, salt is essential for the proper functioning of the muscles and nerves. It is also important for maintaining the correct levels of blood pressure and fluids in the body. So, in other words, salt in moderation is good!

If you want to make sure that your daily intake of salt is within the recommended amount, consider using a healthy alternative to salt for making unsalted roasted peanuts taste wonderful. The good news is that there are plenty of them to choose from. As a matter of fact, some of them can completely change the way you enjoy roasted peanuts.

Here are some salt alternatives that you may give a try:

  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Ground black pepper
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Dry mustard
  • Nori flakes

Seasoning unsalted peanuts already roasted with any of these healthy alternatives to salt is a complete game-changer. You may also use different ones at the same time to have a unique and unforgettable snack time.

Just Before You Salt Unsalted Roasted Peanuts

You may not fully enjoy eating unsalted peanuts already roasted simply by sprinkling a little salt on them because the salt you add is likely to end up at the bottom of the container.

Luckily, there is no need to dispose of the packaging and get your hands on a salted variant. There are steps that you may take to salt unsalted roasted peanuts the right way.

Above, we talked about the different methods on how to salt unsalted peanuts already roasted. They range anywhere from sprinkling popcorn salt to heating peanuts in a pan with oil.

We also discussed healthy alternatives to salt that can make unsalted roasted nuts taste delightful without causing you to consume more salt than necessary. No matter which of them you wish to give a try, you can rest assured that unsalted peanuts already roasted will help improve your health and please your taste buds at the same time.

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