Enjoy “Boiled Peanut Day.” (And It’s Pronounced “BAWL-d Peanuts”)

Our friends The Lee Brothers rose to fame because of the love we have in South Carolina for boiling the raw legume (Remember, peanuts are actually beans.), and the South Carolina Peanut Board and Department of Agriculture are going to share that love.

You may not know it, but August 25 is “Boiled Peanut Day,” and from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (or while supplies last), anyone can come by the farmers’ sheds on Wholesale Lane at the State Farmers Market (3483 Charleston Hwy. in West Columbia) for free taste of boiled peanuts.

The free treat is being offered as part of the celebrations for “Farmers’ Market Month” in South Carolina and the 5th anniversary of the ”Certified South Carolina Grown Summer Celebrations.”

As South Carolinians continue enjoying boiled peanuts, our state is fast becoming a major peanut producer – now raking fifth in the nation for peanut production.

Brad Boozer, with the South Carolina Peanut Board, says, “In 2002 the state had about 9,000 acres of peanuts, but 95,000 acres of peanuts were planted this year.” Boozer also says that number could reach 120, 000 acres within five years.