Tag: national peanut board

Celebrating baseball’s return means it’s also time for fans to turn their attention to one of the greatest things about watching America’s pastime—the concession stand!

From the savory to the sweet, some of the ballpark delights are so much a part of the game that it would be nearly unthinkable not to have them while enjoying an afternoon or evening cheering on your favorite team.

After all, what’s going out to the ball game without buying the peanuts, right?

Although this year’s baseball enjoyment requires fans to get a tad creative while bringing the experience home, it doesn’t mean there’s no room for enjoying concession stand favorites. In fact, it only adds to the excitement that the game is back!

Fans can create their own stadium feeling by snacking on a few of the game’s all-time great options, including these five that would be hard to pass up.

In-shell peanuts

It’s the game’s favorite snack, and one of the easiest to enjoy—whether that’s from your outdoor setup or the living room! In-shell peanuts have intertwined with baseball since the 1890s, and today, it’s a staple for fans across America’s ballparks. To add that stadium feeling to your in-home concession stand, you can have a little fun with your watching party and toss out bags of the roasted delights during the game—just give them a heads up: “Peanuts, here!”

Homemade pretzels

Sure, there’s a little more work to this option, but what’s a day spent watching baseball without a soft pretzel?! The added bonus with this concession favorite: Ballpark experiences often go hand in hand with the sights, sounds and smells we’re so used to enjoying while at a game—and filling your at-home stadium with the aroma of soft pretzels would be welcomed by even the opposing team’s fans.

Hot dogs

No baseball game would be complete without hot dogs. To add a stadium-like twist, set up a condiment section somewhere in or near the kitchen, so fans attending your at-home baseball celebration can add onions, relish, ketchup, mustard—the works! For that extra touch of a ballpark classic, serve the hot dogs wrapped in aluminum foil. (This will also allow you to test your stadium vendor skills as you toss a few to the fans during the game!)

Nachos

There’s nothing like cheering for a big two-out hit while simultaneously trying to snack on a chip loaded with all sorts of toppings! Homemade nachos would definitely be a solid choice for your concession enjoyment. The options are so extensive that you can create different versions to appease all of the guests watching the game: Veggie. Meat. Chicken. FULLY LOADED!

Like hot dogs, you can also add a touch of ballpark flare to the experience by serving a plain version that comes with a side of nacho cheese and jalapeños.

Ice Cream

Celebrating baseball’s return with a few scoops of ice cream covered in chocolate syrup and topped with roasted peanuts? It’s an undefeated option! You can serve it in cups with your favorite team’s colors and logo, or create the longtime baseball-watching tradition of enjoying your cool treat in a waffle cone.

Either way, it’s a win-win!

The wait is over, baseball fans—America’s pastime is back!

Although this year’s baseball games will be a different experience, where all the action will unfold while people are at home and not the ballparks, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a memorable time. The crack of the bat, the pop of the ball hitting the mitt, the game’s nuances, all of it can still be enjoyed.

And that includes the game’s most popular snack: peanuts!

With a little creativity, baseball fans can generate their own stadium-like atmosphere from home, making new traditions mixed with classics that make the game so wonderful. If you feel overwhelmed, keep this in mind: Baseball and peanuts are a classic combo that can be enjoyed in the living room just as easily as the stands.

Once you have that covered, you’re practically set.

Here are a few other possibilities that will help bring the game home.

1. Wear your favorite ballpark attire

Wearing your favorite jersey—or any of the flare that shows your team spirit—is a great way to ring in that ballpark feeling. If there are a few rivalries among family and friends, this is also the perfect time to remind them where you stand.

2. Don’t forget the roasted peanuts!

“Peanuts, here! Peanuts!”

No setup would be complete without paying homage to the perfect baseball  concession, right? If you have guests, fill up a carrying tray with all the roasted goodness and show off your best ballpark vendor skills. Behind-the-back tosses are highly encouraged!

Need extras? To help get back into the swing of the season, the National Peanut Board is Spreading Good by bringing baseball fans a taste of being at the ballpark with free peanut giveaways—check out the details on Twitter.

3. Set up your home stadium

Bring the television outside, set up a few rows of chairs—foldouts would be the classic go-to here—and take in the ballgame with six-feet of separation between you and the rest of the crowd. Toss peanut shells on the ground while embracing the nine innings of snacking and cheering.

In case you’re wondering: Yes, it’s 100 percent OK to encourage your guests to do the wave.

4. Play baseball trivia

You won’t have the scoreboard testing your baseball I.Q. in between innings, but that doesn’t mean your only option during commercial breaks (when you’re not getting another bag of peanuts) is scrolling through social media. Instead, challenge your friends and family to a little at-home trivia.

Create a few rounds of questions—one for each inning would be ideal—and test everyone’s mastery of all things baseball. Movies. Player names and numbers. Perhaps try these to start: When were peanuts first sold at a game? What ballparks consume the most in-shell peanuts each season? What year did the famous lyrics to “Take me out to the ball game” get written?

And speaking of the middle of the seventh…

5. Sing ‘Take me out to the ball game’ during the 7th-inning stretch

You’ve waited long enough—it’s time to stretch and sway and sing the classic jingle. This is also the perfect time to dust off the peanut shells that have landed on your lap.

Now, a-one, and a-two, and a-three!

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win, it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game.