- Peanuts aren’t nuts! They are legumes, like lentils, peas, and beans.
- Peanuts make up the majority of snack nuts eaten in the US (though, as I’ve just said, peanuts aren’t nuts).
- The peanut goes by various names. Americans call it a ‘goober’ or a ‘pindar.’ Britons supposedly call it a ‘monkey nut,’ but I don’t know about that. ...
Full Answer
When is it good time to plant peanuts?
- Exposure: full sun, at least 5 to 7 hours daily
- When to plant: After nighttime temperatures are above 55°F. Depending on your growing zone, plants may need to be started indoors.
- Recommended varieties: ' Jumbo Virginia ,' ' Tennessee Red Valencia ' ' Early Spanish '
How to grow your own peanuts?
- Pick a location for your peanut that gets at least 8 hours of direct sunlight and has loose, rich, well-drained soil. ...
- Break open a raw peanut shell to expose the seeds. ...
- When plants produce a yellow flower (30-40 days) mound soil around the base of the plant so peanut ‘pegs’ can push into the soil.
- Once ‘pegs’ develop, keep soil consistently moist.
How long do peanuts take to grow?
The plant continues to grow and flower, eventually producing some 40 or more pods. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle of a peanut takes four to five months, depending on the type and variety. Farmers Harvest 140 to 150 Days After Planting.
Where are most peanuts grown?
What country grows the most peanuts?
- CHINA. Since 2006 China has been the major peanut producer in the world.
- INDIA.
- USA.
- NIGERIA.
- BURMA.
- INDONESIA.
- ARGENTINA.
- CHAD.
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What kind of plants are peanuts?
peanut, (Arachis hypogaea), also called groundnut, earthnut, or goober, legume of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds. Native to tropical South America, the peanut was at an early time introduced to the Old World tropics. The seeds are a nutritionally dense food, rich in protein and fat.
What group of plants do peanuts belong to?
Peanuts, along with beans and peas, belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae. Legumes are edible seeds enclosed in pods. As a group, they provide the best source of concentrated protein in the plant kingdom.
What is the classification of peanuts?
DicotyledonsPeanut / ClassMagnoliopsida is a valid botanical name for a class of flowering plants. By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its circumscription can otherwise vary, being more inclusive or less inclusive depending upon the classification system being discussed. Wikipedia
Are peanuts considered a plant?
The peanut is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 in) tall. As a legume, it belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae, and commonly known as the legume, bean, or pea family. Like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.
Is peanut a seed or fruit?
Even though "nut" is in its name, a peanut is actually a legume. Like soybeans, lentils, and other legumes, peanuts are edible seeds that grow in pods. Still, most people think of them as nuts, along with tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.
Are peanuts seeds or roots?
People are often surprised to find out that peanuts are not nuts at all. Actually, they are the seeds of a leguminous plant related to peas and beans. The peanut plant is unique because its flowers grow aboveground, yet the pods containing the seeds develop in the soil.
Is peanut a root or stem?
Answer: It is a fruit.
Are nuts a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, a nut is a dry fruit that consists of a hard shell covering a single seed. Some examples of true nuts include acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts.
Why are peanuts considered legumes?
Peanuts, for instance, usually have two seeds and easily break open, Jernstedt said. Because they grow in a pod, they're technically a legume, a family of plants that produce their fruit (often beans) in a pod, and have more in common with snow peas than actual nuts.
Is peanut a tree or bush?
Peanuts don't grow on trees; they come from a plant in the Fabaceae family, just like peas and beans. The hard brown shell peanuts come in is actually a modified peapod. The peanut plant isn't a tree that produces an annual crop. Instead it's a small bush, usually planted in late spring.
Is a peanut a pea?
Peanuts aren't actually a true nut; they're a legume (in the same family as peas and lentils). But the proteins in peanuts are similar in structure to those in tree nuts.
What are examples of legumes?
Some common, good-for-you legumes include:Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans.Peanuts.Black beans.Green peas.Lima beans.Kidney beans.Black-eyed peas.Navy beans.More items...
What are the different types of peanuts?
Types of Peanut Varieties 1 Runner peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea) are primarily grown in Georgia, Alabama and Florida, with Georgia producing 40% of the U.S. peanut crop. Runner peanuts are most commonly used in the production of peanut butter. 2 Virginia peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea) are primarily grown in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. They produce the largest nuts and are most often used as snacking peanuts. Virginia peanuts have also become very popular in gourmet, all-natural peanut butters. 3 Spanish peanuts ( Arachis fastigata) are primarily grown in Texas and Oklahoma. Their nuts have bright red skins. Spanish peanuts are used in candies or sold as salted, shelled peanuts for snacking and are also used in the production of peanut butter. 4 Valencia peanuts ( Arachis fastigata) are mostly produced in New Mexico. They are known as the sweetest tasting peanuts and are, therefore, very popular for all natural and homemade peanut butters. Valencia peanuts also make delicious boiled peanuts.
What is the most common type of peanut?
The most commonly grown type of peanut plants are runner peanuts, which make up about 80% grown. Virginia peanuts account for 15% and Valencia peanuts contribute only 1% to the U.S. peanut crop.
What are Spanish peanuts?
Their nuts have bright red skins. Spanish peanuts are used in candies or sold as salted, shelled peanuts for snacking and are also used in the production of peanut butter. Valencia peanuts ( Arachis fastigata) are mostly produced in New Mexico. They are known as the sweetest tasting peanuts and are, therefore, very popular for all natural ...
What are the most common varieties of Spanish peanuts?
Titan. Wynne. Some of the most common varieties of Spanish peanuts are: Georgia-045. Olin. Pronto. Spanco. Tamspan 90. Generally, most of the Valencia peanuts grown in the U.S. are of the variety Tennessee Reds.
Where are Virginia peanuts grown?
Virginia peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea) are primarily grown in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. They produce the largest nuts and are most often used as snacking peanuts. Virginia peanuts have also become very popular in gourmet, all-natural peanut butters. Spanish peanuts ( Arachis fastigata) are primarily grown in Texas and Oklahoma.
Is peanut butter a comfort food?
For many of us who grew up on PB & J, peanut butter is a comfort food. Like me, you may have noticed how the prices of these little jars of comfort have skyrocketed in the last few years. Because of rising prices and a desire to avoid unhealthy food preservatives, many home gardeners are now toying with the idea of growing their own peanuts and making their own peanut butter. How hard can it be, you may ask? After all a peanut is a peanut. Then a Google search of peanut plant seeds reveals that there’s more variety to peanuts than you knew. Continue reading to learn about the differences between these peanut plant varieties.
Where do peanuts come from?
Peanuts originally came to Indonesia from the Philippines, where the legume derived from Mexico in times of Spanish colonization. One Philippine dish using peanuts is kare-kare, a mixture of meat and peanut butter. Apart from being used in dishes, fried shelled peanuts are a common inexpensive snack in the Philippines with the peanuts commonly served plain salted with garlic chips and variants including adobo and chilli flavors.
What is a peanut?
& W. C. Greg. The peanut, also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), and taxonomically classified as Arachis hypogaea, is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds.
Why are peanuts contaminated?
If peanut plants are subjected to severe drought during pod formation, or if pods are not properly stored, they may become contaminated with the mold Aspergillus flavus which may produce carcinogenic substances called aflatoxins. Lower-quality peanuts, particularly where mold is evident, are more likely to be contaminated. The United States Department of Agriculture tests every truckload of raw peanuts for aflatoxin; any containing aflatoxin levels of more than 15 parts per billion are destroyed. The peanut industry has manufacturing steps in place to ensure all peanuts are inspected for aflatoxin. Peanuts tested to have high aflatoxin are used to make peanut oil where the mold can be removed.
How do peanuts grow?
Peanuts grow best in light, sandy loam soil with a pH of 5.9–7. Their capacity to fix nitrogen means that, providing they nodulate properly, peanuts benefit little or not at all from nitrogen-containing fertilizer, and they improve soil fertility. Therefore, they are valuable in crop rotations. Also, the yield of the peanut crop itself is increased in rotations, through reduced diseases, pests and weeds. For example, in Texas, peanuts in a three-year rotation with corn yield 50% more than nonrotated peanuts. Adequate levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and micronutrients are also necessary for good yields. To develop well, peanuts need warm weather throughout the growing season. They can be grown with as little as 350 mm (14 in) of water, but for best yields need at least 500 mm (20 in). Depending on growing conditions and the cultivar of peanut, harvest is usually 90 to 130 days after planting for subspecies A. h. fastigiata types, and 120 to 150 days after planting for subspecies A. h. hypogaea types. Subspecies A. h. hypogaea types yield more, and are usually preferred where the growing seasons are sufficiently long.
What type of peanuts are used in candy?
Most peanuts marketed in the shell are of the Virginia type, along with some Valencias selected for large size and the attractive appearance of the shell. Spanish peanuts are used mostly for peanut candy, salted nuts, and peanut butter .
Why are peanuts used in medicine?
Plumpy Nut, MANA Nutrition, and Medika Mamba are high-protein, high-energy, and high-nutrient peanut-based pastes developed to be used as therapeutic food to aid in famine relief. The World Health Organization, UNICEF, Project Peanut Butter, and Doctors Without Borders have used these products to help save malnourished children in developing countries .
How long are peanut pods?
This peg grows down into the soil, allowing the fruit to develop underground. These pods (technically called legumes) are 3 to 7 centimetres (1 to 3 in) long, normally containing one to four seeds. The shell of the peanut fruit consists primarily mesocarp with several large veins traversing its length.
When do peanuts grow?
First, Farmers Plant the Seeds. Across the USA Peanut Belt, peanuts are planted after the last frost in April through May , when soil temperatures reach 65°—70°F.
How long does it take for a peanut plant to grow?
The embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature taking the form of a peanut. The plant continues to grow and flower, eventually producing some 40 or more pods. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle of a peanut takes four to five months, depending on the type and variety.
How long do peanuts dry?
Peanuts contain 25 to 50 percent moisture when first dug and are dried to 10 percent or less so they can be stored. They are usually left in windrows for two or three days to cure, or dry, before the next step. ( Read more about the history of peanut harvesting .)
Why are peanut vines left in the field?
Peanut vines can be left in the field to nourish the soil or be used as nutritious livestock feed. Freshly combined peanuts are then placed into peanut wagons for further curing with forced warm air circulating through the wagon.
How much water do peanuts need?
Peanuts Require Less Water than Other Nuts. Peanut plants need 1.5 to 2 inches of water per week during kernel development; however, it takes just five gallons of water to produce an ounce of peanuts, compared to 80 gallons for an ounce of almonds. If rain does not meet those needs, farmers will irrigate the fields.
What are the top priorities for peanut farmers?
Sustainability of resources, communities and family are top priorities for USA peanut farmers.
When do farmers dig up peanuts?
When the plant has matured and the peanuts are ready for harvest, the farmer waits until the soil is not too wet or too dry before digging. When conditions are right, he or she drives a digger up and down the green rows of peanut plants. The digger pulls up the plant, gently shakes off any lingering soil, rotates the plant and lays it back down in a “windrow”—with peanuts up and leaves down.
How Do Peanuts Grow?
Peanut seeds (kernels) grow into green oval-leafed plants about 18 inches tall, which develop delicate yellow flowers around the lower portion of the plants. The flowers pollinate themselves and then lose their petals as the fertilized ovary begins to enlarge. The budding ovary or ‘peg’ grows down away from the plant, extending to the soil. The peanut embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature, taking the form of the peanut. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle takes four to five months, depending on the type or variety.
How long does it take for peanuts to grow?
From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle takes four to five months, depending on the type or variety.
Is a Peanut a Legume?
Peanuts, along with beans and peas, belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae. Legumes are edible seeds enclosed in pods. As a group, they provide the best source of concentrated protein in the plant kingdom. While their physical structure and nutritional benefits more closely resemble that of other legumes, peanuts’ use in diets and cuisines more closely resembles that of nuts.
Which peanuts are the most recognizable?
Virginia peanuts are probably some of the most recognizable because if you ever eat store-bought peanuts in the shell, they’re probably Virginia peanuts. Bailey is a reliable variety with a high yield and high disease resistance. Gregory has extremely large pods and a high yield.
What kind of peanuts are Spanish?
Spanish peanuts are smaller than other varieties. They have red and brown skin. If you ever eat candied peanuts, it’s probably this type. They’re also popular for making butter. You usually see them growing in Oklahoma and Texas.
How to keep peanuts from growing in my garden?
Mulch Your Plants. Mulch is a great friend of the gardener because it helps to hold moisture in around your plants and smothers out weeds. Use mulch around your peanut plants to allow ample moisture to remain near the plant and also stop weeds from taking over.
How much sun do peanuts need?
If you want your growing peanuts to thrive, you need to plant them in full sun. They need at least 6 hours of sun per day.
How long does it take for peanuts to grow?
Peanuts grow in zones 8-12. Peanuts take anywhere from 100-130 days to mature, and those days must be free of frost. This makes growing peanuts a bit of challenge in the northern climates.
What is a Georgia 06G peanut?
because they grow in such a uniform size. Therefore, they are more appealing for marketing purposes. Georgia 06G is a nice variety with large pods. It has a high yield and resists viruses.
What are Valencia peanuts?
If you like boiled peanuts then you are familiar with Valencia peanuts. They have 3 or more kernels inside the shell. They are most noticeable for their bright red skin.
Where do peanuts come from?
But don’t worry, we’ve got all the answers. All peanuts come from the same plant, Arachis hypogaea, and today’s peanut is genetically almost completely identical to its original ancestor dating back over 10,000 years.
What is Virginia peanut?
Virginia. Considered the “gourmet” peanut variety, Virginia peanuts have large kernels, and are the variety you get in the shell at ballpark stadiums. Because of their large size and premium characteristics, this variety is best suited for snacking instead of in peanut butter. As Vice President Tom Nolan of in-shell peanut company, Hampton Farms, ...
What are Spanish peanuts?
Spanish peanuts are typically used in candy, confections, and peanut butter, and most of the organic peanuts produced in the U.S. are of the Spanish variety.
Overview
Cultivars in the United States
There are many peanut cultivars grown around the world. The market classes grown in the United States are Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valencia. Peanut production in the United States is divided into three major areas: the southeastern United States region which includes Alabama, Georgia, and Florida; the southwestern United States region which includes New Mexico, Okl…
History
The Arachis genus is native to South America, east of the Andes, around Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. Cultivated peanuts (A. hypogaea) arose from a hybrid between two wild species of peanut, thought to be A. duranensis and A. ipaensis. The initial hybrid would have been sterile, but spontaneous chromosome doubling restored its fertility, forming what is termed an amphidiploid or allotetraploid. Genetic analysis suggests the hybridization may have occurred only once and gav…
Botany
The peanut is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 in) tall. As a legume, it belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae, and commonly known as the legume, bean, or pea family. Like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.
Cultivation
Peanuts grow best in light, sandy loam soil with a pH of 5.9–7. Their capacity to fix nitrogen means that, providing they nodulate properly, peanuts benefit little or not at all from nitrogen-containing fertilizer, and they improve soil fertility. Therefore, they are valuable in crop rotations. Also, the yield of the peanut crop itself is increased in rotations, through reduced diseases, pests and weeds. Fo…
Food
Dry-roasting peanuts is a common form of preparation. Dry peanuts can be roasted in the shell or shelled in a home oven if spread out one layer deep in a pan and baked at a temperature of 177 °C (351 °F) for 15 to 20 min (shelled) and 20 to 25 min (in shell).
Boiled peanuts are a popular snack in India, China, West Africa, and the south…
Animal feed
Peanut plant tops and crop residues can be used for hay.
The protein cake (oilcake meal) residue from oil processing is used as an animal feed and as a soil fertilizer. Groundnut cake is a livestock feed, mostly used by cattle as protein supplements. It is one of the most important and valuable feed for all types of livestocks and one of the most active ingredient for poultry rations. Poor storage of the cake may sometimes result in its contam…
Industrial use
Peanuts have a variety of industrial end uses. Paint, varnish, lubricating oil, leather dressings, furniture polish, insecticides, and nitroglycerin are made from peanut oil. Soap is made from saponified oil, and many cosmetics contain peanut oil and its derivatives. The protein portion is used in the manufacture of some textile fibers. Peanut shells are used in the manufacture of plastic, wallboard, abrasives, fuel, cellulose (used in rayon and paper), and mucilage (glue).