Blanching, seed coat removal, is often a processing step in peanut manufacturing but the general peanut industry consensus is that shelf-life reduction occurs as a result of the process. In order to examine the effects of blanching on shelf-life, runner-type peanuts were blanched using total heating time and final temperature in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment. In each of nine treatments, heating began at 32 C and increased incrementally through six heating zones over a total time of 30,45, or 60 min to a final temperature of either 76.7, 87.8, or 98.9 C. Blanched peanuts from each treatment and nonblanched control samples were stored at 26 ± 1C and ambient RH and were sampled over a 28-wk period. Peroxide value (PV) and oxidative stability index (OSI) of blanched and nonblanched peanuts were similar indicating no meaningful shelf-life differences. Descriptive sensory analysis of peanuts roasted when taken from storage indicated no significant differences in intensity of painty and cardboardy descriptors between blanched and nonblanched peanuts. Mean separations of attributes, including roast peanutty, for which significant differences were noted revealed only a weak, inconsistent relationship between descriptor intensities and final blanching temperature.