Free Republic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For lovers of boiled peanuts, there's some good news from the health front. A new study by a group of Huntsville researchers found that boiled peanuts bring out up to four times more chemicals that help protect against disease than raw, dry or oil-roasted nuts. Lloyd Walker, chair of Alabama A&M University's Department of Food and Animal Sciences who co-authored the study, said these phytochemicals have antioxidant qualities that protect cells against the risk of degenerative diseases, including cancers, diabetes and heart disease. "Boiling is a better method of preparing peanuts in order to preserve these phytochemicals,"...

In A Nutshell, Boiled Peanuts Better For You By KENT FAULK   Lex Legate, owner of the Peanut Depot in Birmingham, Ala., prepares to boil peanuts. (Photo by Michelle Williams)     BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Boiled peanuts, a mushy snack enjoyed by many in the South, may be better for your health than raw peanuts or those roasted dry or in oil, a new study by a group of Huntsville researchers suggests.Boiling brings out up to four times more healthy phytochemicals in the peanuts than raw, dry- or oil-roasted nuts, according to the study by three Alabama A&M University researchers...

Fried Coke has become the latest artery-clogging hit at US state fairs, local media reports. The gooey Coke-battered nuggets topped with cola syrup won the "most creative" title at the Texas state fair in Dallas last month. Since then, the deep-fried phenomenon has spread to North Carolina and Arizona. "We've been getting calls from everywhere since we introduced it," Elizabeth Martin, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina fair, told the Dallas Morning News. "Everyone wants to know where they can get it." Fried treats are as big of a draw at state fairs as the rides and prize-winning farm animals....

On our way to the beach for the Fourth of July, we made a pit stop for boiled peanuts. Couldn't get there without them. They cured the "car fever" that was ailing us and got us in just the right mood for our long-awaited, patriotic beach venture. And better yet, when we arrived at our brother-in-law's house, he had a big pot of his own peanuts boiling. That's where the conversation got started. Do you like yours "al dente" or so soggy that you slurp 'em more than you eat 'em? I prefer the slurping variety. And the saltier the...