How do peanuts grow? Here's where they come from and how they go from soil to shelf.
The name “George Washington” may invoke presidential images, but add “Carver” to the end and you’re conjuring peanuts in your mind. George Washington Carver developed more than 300 products from peanuts in his lifetime, including paper, soap, cooking oil, milk, Worcestershire sauce, laxatives and wood stains.
Today, peanuts are still an essential part of American diets and consumer goods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. produced 6.39 billion pounds of peanuts in 2021.
Wondering how peanuts grow? Here’s everything you need to know.
Where do peanuts come from?
China is the world’s largest producer of peanuts, responsible for 37% of the global total. India produces 13% of the world’s peanuts. Other notable countries involved in peanut production are Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, Burma, Guinea, Argentina and Tanzania.
The United States produces about 5% of the world’s peanut population, according to the USDA. Most U.S. peanut production is concentrated in Georgia, but Florida, Alabama, Texas, and North Carolina are also producers.
What is the healthiest nut?: Add these two to your daily diet for fat, fiber and protein.
How do peanuts grow?
Peanuts grow below the soil on a plant with leaves and flowers above ground and peanut pods and roots below. The process from planting to harvesting typically takes four to five months and, in the U.S., begins after the last frost in April to May as the soil temperatures rise.
After the initial planting, seedlings rise and sprout leaves after 10 days, the National Peanut Board reports. Flowers appear after 40 days, pollinate themselves and form the peanut ovary, known as the peg. The stem of the peg grows down toward the soil and forms peanut pods below the soil’s surface.
Peanuts are typically harvested from September to October when the soil is not too wet or too dry. After this, peanuts are dried from 25-50% moisture to about 10% or less, the National Peanut Board says.
Are peanuts actually nuts?
Contrary to popular belief, peanuts belong to the legume family and are not nuts. Other legumes include lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans and other species.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where do peanuts come from? Where (and how) in the world they grow.