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Peanuts are winners at the old ball game

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published March 7, 2007

I always tell friends that I expect to spend my time in purgatory emptying the dishwasher. But now that my son's spring baseball season is in full swing, I think I might be spending eternity sitting on a bleacher instead. The saving grace: peanuts.

Besides the treat of a salty snack, the ritual of cracking and peeling the shells helps pass the time between innings.

Taster's Choice judges have eaten their share of ballpark peanuts as well. We put five varieties of roasted and salted fresh peanuts before our sports fanatic chefs to find the best bleacher treat.

It didn't take a whole inning to select the shelled peanuts from Publix as the winner. The store-brand peanuts $2.89 for a 32-ounce bag were a big hit. They scored 87 out of a possible 100 points in our survey.

The Publix peanuts were larger than some of the competitors'. They also boasted a strong roasted flavor.

The favorite peanuts also had a firm texture and didn't crumble in our hands as did some brands.

And they weren't too salty.

All four judges said they would buy the Publix brand again.

"These are definitely my favorite," said one panelist. "I can hear them sing, 'Take me out to the ball game.' "

Peanuts from Hampton Farms, in a bag decorated with the logo of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, were the tasting team's second choice. The Rays peanuts ($1.59 for 12 ounces at Publix) won 72 points from our tasters.

Judges described the peanuts as meaty with a salty aftertaste - the kind of goober that needs to be washed down with a cold drink on a hot day at the park.

Three of the four panelists said they would buy the Hampton Farms peanuts. One particularly liked the "red jacket" left on the peanuts once they were released from the shells.

"Where are the Cracker Jacks?" one judge asked.

Peanuts from Albertsons were their third choice ($2.50 for a 12-ounce bag). Again, three of the four panelists would buy the Albertsons brand, which received 67 points.

The peanuts were plump and had a strong roasted flavor.

One judge said they "look and taste like a peanut should."

Sam's Club carries Planters fresh peanuts in a huge 5-pound bag ($4.68), and they didn't strike out either. Judges gave them 60 points, saying they weren't quite as crunchy as the other brands.

Judges also sampled salted peanuts from Planters that were already shelled ($2.99 for a 24-ounce bag of the Limited Edition Old Fashioned Peanuts). They received the same score as their in-the-shell teammates, but they didn't win the final tasting game.

Though the shelled Planters version claimed to have an "in-shell stadium taste," our panelists missed the shelling ritual and said these lacked the freshness of the shelled nuts.

Panelists were Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 James McConnell, chef at Pepin Restaurant in St. Petersburg; and personal chef and mother of four, Julie Overton. All foods were tasted blind.

Judges' rankings

Roasted, salted peanuts

1. Publix

2. Hampton Farms

3. Albertsons

[Last modified March 6, 2007, 12:30:51]