Peanuts
Peanuts need good, soft soil mixed with compost but not too high in Nitrogen, with full sun. In Canada's climate, peanuts need to be started indoors by the end of April.
- Carefully remove a peanut from its shell without breaking the thin pink skin.
- Plant it in a peat pot 1" (2.54 cm) deep and put it in front of a sunny window.
- Water it and watch for the seedling to grow.
- When all danger of frost has passed and the soil outside is warm, usually around June 7th, plant it in the garden.
- You can warm the soil with black plastic for a couple of weeks before planting.
- If you have clay soil, use black landscape fabric because it breathes.
- Plant the seedlings 12" (30.48 cm) apart and cover the peat pot rim with soil or the plant will dry out. Water it well.
- If your garden has cutworms, put toilet paper roll collars around each of your plants.
- Peanut plants will grow to about 18" (45.72 cm) tall and then flower.
- The yellow flowers will be pollinated and the stems elongate and grow toward the ground.
- Once the seed pods go underground, they will form into peanuts. This usually takes between 60 to 80 days.
- Keep the plants well-watered until the end of August. In September, listen for frost warnings.
- Before the first hard frost, pull up the plants and your clusters of seed pods will be ready.
- The nuts in the center of the cluster will be ripe, but some from around the edge may not be ripe enough to eat.
- Store the ripe nuts in a warm, dry place and turn them every day to make sure they don't go moldy.
You can save the seeds for planting next year or eat them raw or cooked:
- Shell the nuts and rub off the pink skin.
- Roast the nuts on a cookie sheet in the oven set at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes.
- Shuffle them and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- If they need more time, shuffle them again and test them every 5 minutes to make sure they don't get overcooked.
- Let them cool before you eat them because nuts hold the heat really well.
Fascinating Facts!
- Peanuts are not nuts! They are actually legumes, which means they are related to beans and peas.
- Peanuts are a great source of protein, with 25g in 100g of peanuts. That's about the same as chicken breast!
- George Washington Carver, an American scientist and inventor, discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, including peanut butter and cooking oil.
- The world's largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich weighed 1,342.8 kg (2,959 lb) and was made in the USA in 2010.
- Peanuts can be used to make biodiesel, a type of fuel that can power cars and other vehicles.
- China is the world's largest producer of peanuts, followed by India and Nigeria.
- Peanuts are a popular snack food and are often roasted and salted. In fact, Americans consume over 3 million pounds of peanuts every year!
more veggies
caring
|
