Post-harvest time: Peanut curing followed by roasting has to occur before they taste anything like ballpark nuts. Peanut curing in gardens doesn’t occur directly but only after harvesting. According to an article in Gardening: Know How, Peanuts, also known as goobers, goober peas, ground peas, ground nuts and earth nuts, are legumes that uniquely flower above ground but fruit under the soil. Peanuts are categorized by either nut variety (Spanish or Virginia) or by their growth habitat — either runner or bunch. Virginia peanuts are the type found at baseball parks around the country with one or two large kernels per peanut pod. Spanish peanuts have two or three smaller kernels and are often sold with a rusty red “skin” adhering to the outside of the nut. In Asian countries like the Philippines, the Spanish variety is commonly propagated. They can be be sold skinned, shelled or unshelled. This variety, during its season, can be sold at 50 pesos per kilo. Rain during the last days of curing will cause shell discoloration and potential mold and insect infection. This is the main reason why peanuts are produced best in places with dry season, such as the town of Santa Lucia in Ilocos Sur, being one of the top producers i the country.
Read next
From @kenden