Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Salted Blister Peanuts

Several years ago, my family took a trip to Virginia for a family reunion. When we first crossed the border from West Virginia into Virginia along Interstate 64, we stopped by the Virginia Welcome Center at Covington, which was giving out free samples of Virginia peanuts. I’m a big fan of peanuts, but up to that point I’d never had Virginia peanuts before.

I was impressed. Virginia peanuts are a little larger than your typical peanuts, and they are also a lot crunchier. This second quality is what really makes them distinct.

I liked the free sample enough that I set out to find some Virginia peanuts before leaving the state. This proved surprisingly hard: none of the major grocers in Virginia that I visited — Kroger, Walmart, and Aldi — stocked them. I eventually located a small shop in Staunton, Virginia (recommended by workers from Kroger, of all places) where I could pick some up, but I assumed that this would probably be the first and last time I’d be able to get Virginia peanuts.

And then, during a visit to Trader Joe’s, I spotted some. They were a little sneaky, in fact, because TJ’s doesn’t call them Virginia peanuts on the front. The ingredients list doesn’t lie, though, which is how I came to discover that I could get a little taste of the Commonwealth back in my Midwest hometown.

Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Salted Blister Peanuts can be found among the other nuts and snacks on the room-temperature shelves at Trader Joe’s. Unlike some other TJ’s nuts, these blister peanuts do not come in a resealable bag.

In 2025, the peanuts cost $2.99 for a 13-ounce bag, or 23 cents an ounce — the same price I paid for them when I first discovered them in 2019. This is a surprisingly affordable price for them, too: I paid more than 37 cents an ounce when I purchased them in Virginia proper. I don’t mind paying more to support a local business, but I have to admit that I’m impressed that Trader Joe’s not only has them in the Midwest where I live, but is able to offer them for a very reasonable price.

As I mentioned, while the front of the bag doesn’t say it, the ingredients on the back note that these are, in fact, Virginia peanuts. And the ingredients are sublimely simple: extra large water blanched Virginia peanuts, peanut oil, and salt. Each 1/4-cup serving has 180 calories, 16 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, and 120 milligrams of sodium.

So, how did the TJ’s Virginia peanuts stack up? Pretty good, actually. The taste is definitely there, as is the crunch. These crack just the way the ones we bought in Virginia did. The Trader Joe’s peanuts might be a little smaller than the ones we bought in Virginia, but in all other respects these were exactly what we hoped we’d get.

The Verdict:

If you’re part of that niche of people who like Virginia peanuts, Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Blister Peanuts are just that — true Virginia peanuts. With the taste and crunch you’d expect, they’re the real deal. And if you’re just a peanut fan who hasn’t tried these before, they’re worth a look. Recommended.