Spanish peanuts

When I was much younger before Sears and Roebuck's became sears, they had a huge store on Central Ave. in Knoxville that has been closed for many years.  I was very young and in the store, they had a very large nut center that served hot nuts of all sorts.  I recall that they offered one particular type of nut that does not seem to be available anymore, at least not in Knoxville.  As I recall, they were call Spanish peanuts and they served them hot.  They had a red skin or hull and had a very unusual taste.
 
Does anyone recall these type of nuts?
 
Thanks
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN 

They were also known as redskin peanuts.  According to the Kmart website, Planters still offers them in a 12.5 oz can:  http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_033W020280110001P?vName=Food%20&%20Grocery&cName=Snacks&sName=Nuts,%20Seeds%20&%20Trail%20Mixes&sid=KDx20070926x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=033W020280110001P
 
Royal Oak also offers them in larger cans:  http://www.royaloakpeanuts.com/redskins-peanuts.html

According to the Kmart website their stores at 4434 Broadway Street & 6909 Maynardville Pike probably would carry the Planters version.  (Of course, you would have to warm them up yourself.) 
 
And yes, I too remember the warmed nuts, though I was thinking they were at the "dime stores": Kresge's (Kmart's ancestor) or Woolworths.  I think they heated them so the fragrance (odor) of the nuts would waft all over the store and draw you in to buy some.

6Star:  You are correct about the odor.  It was irrestible and similar to the effect that popcorn has on people and myself.  I will never ever forget the delightful smell.
 
Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

Ah, yes-the hot red skinned peanuts at Kresge's.What a memory. I am not sure, Paul, if you have ever had Beer Nuts, but they are a sweet and salty red skinned peanut I enjoy.

When I was growing up in the '50's warm nuts were a staple at most 5 & 10's.  Spanish peanuts were usually the cheapest of the varieties they offered. 
 
Paul, here's an Amazon link where you can get them.
 
Ann, Beer Nuts are really good and even better if you heat them up a little in the oven.

Spanish Peanuts are the best choice for a tin roof sundae. Add a tablespoon of malt and you have yourself a Dusty Road
 

Yes, I meant to mention I always put beer nuts(spanish peanuts) on my sundaes on the rare occasion I have one. Thanks for the heads up, jman-will try that!

I LOVE Planter's Spanish peanuts! My Kroger sells everything Planters but, their Spanish peanuts. However, my local Walmart sells them in a generously sized can for $1.99. They're my favorite canned nut. 

I still wish I could get them fresh and hot like I use to be able to do many years ago at Sears and Roebuck's
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

The link is probably everything you wanted to know about Spanish peanuts and almost every other peanut.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I used to sell them in the '70s when I worked the coin and candy booth in a department store.
 
Aren't they also one of the ingredients in a Tin Roof Sundae?

Just because the roasted peanut has a red skin doesn't mean they are 'Spanish' peanuts.    The link above to Royal Oak red skins are Virginia peanuts.     .... Most peanuts now grown in the US are Virginian, runner, and Valencia varieties. These have better yields and taste better.  The Virginian variety peanut being a bigger nut.    ... The Spanish peanut is a small oily nut.    Most people can not tell the difference between the varieties after they are roasted.      ... I think what Sundancer is missing is the smell and the on-site fresh roasted peanut.    I haven't seen anyone doing this in a long time.   

edwmax:  Perhaps you are correct but they sure did smell good.  I cannot tell you what I smelled was Spanish or not but whatever it was, it sure did smell good.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN 

edwmax is 100% correct! Also, A little known fact: the little redskin Spanish peanuts are actually more nutritious than the larger Virginia variety.
They share the same nutritional values except, the Spanish variety contain more of the same nutritional value pound for pound.

Either one, I like a skin on peanut!!

The Spanish peanuts smell good while they are heating but the red skins get caught in your teeth.  I gotta floss.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Me, too, Paul!!

Edwmax knows his Nuts!
Spanish group
The small Spanish types are grown in South Africa, and in the southwestern and southeastern U.S. Prior to 1940, 90% of the peanuts grown in Georgia, USA were Spanish types, but the trend since then has been larger seeded, higher yielding, more disease resistant cultivars. Spanish peanuts have a higher oil content than other types of peanuts and in the U.S. are now primarily grown in Oklahoma and Texas.
Cultivars of the Spanish group include "Dixie Spanish", "Improved Spanish 2B", "GFA Spanish", "Argentine", "Spantex", "Spanette", "Shaffers Spanish", "Natal Common (Spanish)", "White Kernel Varieties", "Starr", "Comet", "Florispan", "Spanhoma", "Spancross", "OLin", "Tamspan 90", "AT 9899-14", "Spanco" "Wilco I", "GG 2", "GG 4" and "TMV 2".

[edit] Runner group

Since 1940, the southeastern U.S. region has seen a shift to production of Runner group peanuts. This shift is due to good flavor, better roasting characteristics and higher yields when compared to Spanish types leading to food manufacturers' preference for use in peanut butter and salting. Georgia's production is now almost 100% Runner type.[13]
Cultivars of Runners include "Southeastern Runner 56-15", "Dixie Runner", "Early Runner", "Virginia Bunch 67", "Bradford Runner", "Egyptian Giant" (also known as "Virginia Bunch" and "Giant"), "Rhodesian Spanish Bunch" (Valencia and Virginia Bunch), "North Carolina Runner 56-15", "Virugard", "Georgia Green", "Tamrun 96", "Flavor Runner 458", "Tamrun OL01", "Tamrun OL02" and "AT-108".

Roasted peanuts as snack food

[edit] Virginia group

The large seeded Virginia Group peanuts are grown in the following US states: Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and parts of Georgia. They are increasing in popularity due to demand for large peanuts for processing, particularly for salting, confections, and roasting in the shells.
Virginia Group peanuts are either bunch or running in growth habit. The bunch type is upright to spreading. It attains a height of 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22 in), and a spread of 70 to 80 cm (28 to 31 in), with 80 to 90 cm (31 to 35 in) rows that seldom cover the ground. The pods are borne within 5 to 10 cm of the base of the plant.
Cultivars of Virginia type peanuts include NC 7, NC 9, NC 10C, NC-V 11, VA 93B, NC 12C, VA-C 92R, Gregory, VA 98R, Perry, Wilson, Hull, AT VC-2 and Shulamit.

[edit] Valencia group

Valencia Group peanuts are coarse, and they have heavy reddish stems and large foliage. In the U.S., large commercial production is primarily in Eastern New Mexico, especially in and around Portales, New Mexico, but they are grown on a small scale elsewhere in the South as the best flavored and preferred type for boiled peanuts. They are comparatively tall, having a height of 125 cm (49 in) and a spread of 75 cm (30 in). Peanut pods are borne on pegs arising from the main stem and the side branches. Most of the pods are clustered around the base of the plant, and only a few are found several inches away. Valencia types are three seeded and smooth, with no constriction between the seeds. Seeds are oval and tightly crowded into the pods. There are two strains, one with flesh and the other with red seeds. Typical seed weight is 0.4 to 0.5 g.

[edit] Tennessee Red and Tennessee White groups

These are alike, except for the color of the seed. Sometimes known also as Texas Red or White, the plants are similar to Valencia types, except that the stems are green to greenish brown, and the pods are rough, irregular, and have a smaller proportion of kernels.

I was a Manager with Sears for 15 years and worked in stores that had Nut & Candy Departments. On nights I "Closed", I had to go by the nut counter and "Inspect' the nuts for Freshness! We were very strict about employees "Sampling" the nuts & candy so I could have been fired I guess. Luckily, we did not have surveillance cameras then!
 
My early memories of the luscious smell of roasted nuts in stores was the five & ten in my home town. That, along with the well oiled, well worn, creaking wooden floors bring back fond memories. Today, they would be shut down as a fire hazard!
 
You knew the store was closing when the ladies would cover all the counters and shelves at closing time with sheets of cloth!

Foodbme


Edwmax knows his Nuts!

 
Well ... yea ... but not further comment on that point!     
 
As far as Spanish, or runners, I pulled and hoed enough weeds in the field each summer growing up until I had blisters on my hands.   I'm fine buying nuts in the little plastic bag now.       .... But I think if some of the Hot Dog vendors added a hot roasting outfit on their carts, nuts sells would be good.

edwmax

Foodbme

Edwmax knows his Nuts!

Well ... yea ... but not further comment on that point!     
As far as Spanish, or runners, I pulled and hoed enough weeds in the field each summer growing up until I had blisters on my hands.   I'm fine buying nuts in the little plastic bag now.       .... But I think if some of the Hot Dog vendors added a hot roasting outfit on their carts, nuts sells would be good.

I've often thought a Hot Dog - Boiled Peanut rig would be something that would work..
The name, "Just Nuts About Dogs"!
I'd have to give some thought on how to design & build it, but it should be a good seller. The best boiled peanut rig I ever saw was made out of Double Walled Beer Kegs.

You can get  portable Propane Peanut Roaster from these guys for $1800.00!
http://www.peanutbusiness.com/Roaster_Types.html

Foodbme

edwmax

Foodbme

Edwmax knows his Nuts!

Well ... yea ... but not further comment on that point!     
As far as Spanish, or runners, I pulled and hoed enough weeds in the field each summer growing up until I had blisters on my hands.   I'm fine buying nuts in the little plastic bag now.       .... But I think if some of the Hot Dog vendors added a hot roasting outfit on their carts, nuts sells would be good.

I've often thought a Hot Dog - Boiled Peanut rig would be something that would work..
The name, "Just Nuts About Dogs"!
I'd have to give some thought on how to design & build it, but it should be a good seller. The best boiled peanut rig I ever saw was made out of Double Walled Beer Kegs.

 
It takes too long to cook boiled peanuts to do it on the cart; several hours.     ...   I think for show just use a big pot (30 qt) on a turkey cooker to heat boiled peanuts to the side of the cart; serve from the steam/hot water pan on the cart.     ...  The peanut will be semi dried raw nuts (50 lb sacks?). To cook the peanuts, you will need to soak the nuts in salted water for about 24 hrs; then cook for 4 or 5 hrs.     A large pot or a cut down 55 gal drum on an angle iron frame with 2 large burners under it.      ... Rather than double wall, I would just use a false perforated bottom abt 4" above the drum bottom.   ... May be setup the cooker frame to hold 2 drums/pots. One to be soaking while the other is cooking.

edwmax

Foodbme

edwmax

Foodbme

Edwmax knows his Nuts!

Well ... yea ... but not further comment on that point!     
As far as Spanish, or runners, I pulled and hoed enough weeds in the field each summer growing up until I had blisters on my hands.   I'm fine buying nuts in the little plastic bag now.       .... But I think if some of the Hot Dog vendors added a hot roasting outfit on their carts, nuts sells would be good.

I've often thought a Hot Dog - Boiled Peanut rig would be something that would work..
The name, "Just Nuts About Dogs"!
I'd have to give some thought on how to design & build it, but it should be a good seller. The best boiled peanut rig I ever saw was made out of Double Walled Beer Kegs.

It takes too long to cook boiled peanuts to do it on the cart; several hours.     ...   I think for show just use a big pot (30 qt) on a turkey cooker to heat boiled peanuts to the side of the cart; serve from the steam/hot water pan on the cart.     ...  The peanut will be semi dried raw nuts (50 lb sacks?). To cook the peanuts, you will need to soak the nuts in salted water for about 24 hrs; then cook for 4 or 5 hrs.     A large pot or a cut down 55 gal drum on an angle iron frame with 2 large burners under it.      ... Rather than double wall, I would just use a false perforated bottom abt 4" above the drum bottom.   ... May be setup the cooker frame to hold 2 drums/pots. One to be soaking while the other is cooking.

Yep, the way you describe it is the easiest way to do it. The guy I'm talking about with the Double Walled Kegs was set up on a County road just West of Pensacola, FL. He had  a unigue, first class ( As Boiled Peanut Vendors go) set up. He had 4 different sizes of Perforated PVC pipe mounted on a rack. They had a slide out bottom on them. Depending on your order, S-M-L-Jumbo, he would fill the pipe with nuts, let them drain a little, put a paper bag lined with a plastic bag under the pipe, slide out the chute and fill the bag . He would give you an extra bag for your shells. All this was done with Great Flourish. He was a real Showman and a Great Story Teller. Which goes to show you if you're unique, people will remember you. It's been over 12 years since I lived there and I still remember the guy. Bought lots of boiled peanuts from other vendors but don't remember any of them.

Yup.  Handful of them goes good in a bottle of (diet) pepsi or coke too, peanuts with every sip of pop.  Tho dry roasted & salted are the classic for that I think though.

I got them from Sears when I was little also.  My Mom would always give me the money to pay so I could be a "big girl".  I could never remember though not having any concept of the dollar if I was supposed to a get a quarters worth or a quarter pound....I was fond of the bags as well.  If you ever make it to Florida and see a "Steve's Peanut" stand get you some fried redskins, very good!

This is my inaugural post to Roadfood, although the memory that prompts it is worth jumping in. I am a long-time reader of these forums.
 
I grew up with a grandfather who roasted his own spanish peanuts at home. It was his bar snack with Grandma when they had their daily gin martinis and played dice. Prompted by the memory, I did my own this year for holiday gifts. Really quite simple with a great aroma while roasting and the perfect taste. I simply (at the direction of my mom and aunts) took skin on, raw spanish peanuts and roasted them on sheet pans until the correct aroma emerged. They turned darker, and halfway through I sprinkled them with salt. (The oily peanuts allowed the salt to stick.) They were just as I remembered growing up.
 
Obviously I can't post links, but if you search for Fleet Farm Spanish Peanuts you'll find the nuts I used. They are smaller than regular peanuts and definitely have red skins. And you are entirely correct about those skins getting into your teeth!

That's a great first post, KarenAnn. Welcome to Roadfood!

Thank you! I've often thought about posting, but it took Grandpa's spanish peanuts to make me jump in. Someday I'll be able to post his perfect gin martini recipe in the correct discussion - it involved glancing toward the bottle of vermouth and acknowledging its presence in the bar. Not actually using it...