oUR STORY

In the summer of 2025, we had a hankering for fried peanuts like the ones we’d get at convenience stores in Florida.  We knew they weren’t sold in stores in Pittsburgh, and we didn’t really want to order them from Amazon, so we decided to make them ourselves.

What started as an experiment led to lots of messing around in the kitchen, giving peanuts of all different flavors to our friends to get feedback, and trying to convince people to eat the shell.

Now we’ve launched with four core flavors, that have been through dozens of iterations each to get the perfect cook, seasoning, and that satisfying crunch.  We’re still trying to convince people to eat the shell.

oUR INGREDIENTS

Quality ingredients didn’t seem to be a priority in the very small fried peanut industry, so we decided to do things differently.  We use peanut oil for frying, which is more expensive than vegetable or cottonseed oil, but tastes a lot better.  We are excited to announce that beginning in 2026 even our peanuts will be sourced from a company in Pennsylvania!

The most fun ingredients are the seasonings.  We love using local ingredients and supporting other small businesses.  Luckily, there were two local businesses that sell top quality, unique products that helped us…  We are proud to use Uncle Jammy’s Garlic Lovin’ Rub and Kizzle Foods sun-dried scotch bonnet seasonings for two of our core collection flavors.

We’re not making the gas station snack we originally thought we were trying to recreate.  We’re making something better - using the highest quality ingredients and cooked in small batches - with the curious snacker in mind.

oUR Values

  • Source locally whenever possible

  • Buy from small businesses whenever possible

  • Reduce waste by reusing shipping boxes, recycling our used oil, and eating the shell

  • LOVE WHAT WE SELL

Thanks for checking us out and supporting small business!

-Molly & Aric Founders of Forge Fried