Sugar Peanuts

In many countries in Western and Central Africa, any town large enough to have bars, cafes, and restaurants will also likely have vendors selling roasted nuts and sugared peanuts. Often the vendor is a girl or woman, balancing her wares in a tray on her head. The peanuts are sometimes sold in recycled liquor bottles that have been collected, cleaned, and packed with sugar peanuts.

What you need

one cup water
two cups sugar
four cups raw peanuts, shells removed; skins can be removed or left on as desired

What you do

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved, to make a syrup.
Add peanuts. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until peanuts are evenly coated, and no syrup is left in pan.
Spread nuts out on baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees F for about thirty minutes to one hour or until sugar is completely dried. Gently stir the peanuts a few times while baking. Remove from oven and place on paper towels, let cool, and store in airtight containers.

While peanuts are eaten as snacks, they are more often used in other African recipes. See Peanuts in Africa.

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