Descriptive Analysis of Sensory Properties of Wet-Boiled Peanut Sauce: The Effect of Boiling Time and the Presence of Kernel Coating

Descriptive sensory analysis was used to characterize the flavor changes of peanuts during boiling. The attributes investigated were rawness, astringency, and bitterness. Samples of peanut sauce prepared with seed coating and without seed coating and taken at different cooking times (1, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) were compared. A descriptive panel (N = 16 peanuts with coating and N = 17 peanuts without coating) evaluated 12 coded samples served in random order using a scale of 7 points. The average results showed that the rawness decayed during cooking and that obtaining a close-to-neutral sauce character took about 90–120 min. These times are longer than what is used during dry roasting of peanuts. The sensations of rawness, astringency, and bitterness are also perceived more strongly when peanuts are cooked in water than when peanuts are roasted under less humid conditions. Astringency and bitterness are the primary attributes contributing to the complex rawness sensation of the peanut sauce.