Did you know that the peanut is not a nut at all? It's in the legume family. Some other familiar names for it are goobers, ground pea, guinea seed, and monkey nut. Peanuts have been around for 3500 years. It is believed they originated on the slopes of the Andes in Brazil and Peru. Portuguese traders, explorers, and missionaries transported the peanut to Africa and Spain. From Africa the traveled by ship to "The New World" and were planted throughout the south. Peanuts were an excellent food source aboard ships because they were inexpensive and nutritious.
Virginia's first commercial crop was grown in Sussex County around the mid 1840's. The Civil War helped change the peanut's status when both Union and Confederate soldiers used them for food during hard times. The Union soldiers liked them so much they carried them back to their northern homes.
In 1870 P.T. Barnum's Circus introduced "HOT ROASTED PEANUTS". As his circus wagons traveled from city to city the Roasted Peanut became famous, later turning up in ball parks and movie theaters. Remember when the cheap theatre seats were called "P-Nutt Galleries"?
A St. Louis doctor invented Peanut Butter sometime during the 1890's. More than half of the U.S. Peanuts are used to make this creamy, crunchy treat. Imagine a jelly sandwich without Peanut Butter and its nutty taste!
In 1903 George Washington Carver researched the uses of peanuts at Tuskegee Institute. This research led to the development of over 300 uses for the peanut including soap, shampoo, cheese, mayonnaise, ice cream, medicine, ink, bleach, axle grease, and a wonderful snack.
Today peanuts contribute over four billion dollars to the U.S. economy and are an important crop in Virginia and North Carolina. Every year Americans consume an average of 12 lbs. of peanuts per person. Virginia has 3000 peanut farms and produces an average of 350 million lbs. per year.
The peanut is unusual because it flowers above the ground but fruits below the ground. Typical misconceptions of how peanuts grow places them on trees (like walnuts or pecans) or growing as a part of a root like potatoes.
Peanut seeds (kernels) grow into a green oval-leafed plant about 18 inches tall which develop delicate flowers around the lower portion of the plant. The flowers pollinate themselves and then lose their petals as the fertilized ovary begins to enlarge. The budding ovary of "peg" grows down away from the plant, forming a small stem, which extends to the soil. The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg which penetrates the soil. 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 mature pods. From planting to harvesting the growing cycle takes about four to five months depending on the type or variety. The peanut is a nitrogen-fixing plant; its roots form modules which absorb nitrogen from the air and provide enrichment and nutrition to the plant and soils.
From the traditional to the unexpected, nuts have a range of intense flavors that enhance almost any dish. They put the crunch in peanut brittle, the pizzazz in pesto and the buttery richness in pies, pastries and holiday stuffing's. Delectable as they are these tasty morsels are often avoided by the weight-conscious because of their high fat content. But recent scientific research has shown that nuts can and should be part of a healthy diet. Here's why.
While it is true that nuts are rich in fat (most derive 78 percent of their calories from fat) and calories (around 170 per 1/4 cup), they can also reduce your risk of heart disease. In a 10-year Harvard University study published in the British Medical Journal in November 1998, researchers found that women who ate five ounces of nuts a week (about 1 1/4 cups) reduced their risk of heart attack by nearly 35 percent. Experts theorize it's because most of the fat in nuts is the healthy monounsaturated kind, the same type in olive oil, which fights "bad" LDL cholesterol and keeps arteries clear.
In addition to beneficial fat, nuts supply essential fatty acids that help the body function properly. They are also packed with nutrients vital to good health including protein, calcium, potassium, iron, vitamins E and B and Folate. Plus they contain many natural substances that are thought to help fight off cancer such as carotenoids, flavonoids, indoles and phenolic acid. Even their fiber content is good. One ounce (1/4 cup) can provide as much fiber as two slices of whole-wheat bread.
