Peanuts can be eaten crudely, whitened, simmered, bubbled, broiled, powdered, or made into peanut butter. Eating them with their dainty, papery skin is most healthfully valuable, as the skin contains numerous cell reinforcements and phytochemicals.
Whitened nuts are utilized for the most part for cooking and baking. Assuming the nut is unblanched and the skin is still on, the skin will isolate during cooking. Leaving your heated goodie, an imposing wreck. Yet, for eating nothing beats an unblanched nut.