peanut is one the most delicious cuisine of American people, but the classification of what types are, you should have a clue different types. Let's dive into this article to find out how we can identify the types of peanuts. The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), a native of South America, is a legume belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is an annual herbaceous plant that may reach a height of 1 to 1 1/2 feet (30 to 50 cm). Each of the opposing, pinnately compound leaves have four leaflets that range in size from 1 to 7 centimeters (0.3 to 2.75 inches) in length and breadth to 1 to 3 centimeters (0.3 to 0.12 inches). The leaves have two opposed pairs of leaflets rather than a terminal leaflet. The flowers are yellow with crimson veining and are 2 to 4 centimeters (three-quarters to one and a half inches) in diameter. The fruit develops into a 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2 inch) long legume with 2 to 3 (rarely 1 or 4) seeds that grow underground after pollination. Despite being a nut in the culinary sense, the fruit of the peanut is a woody, indehiscent legume or pod, not a nut. Earthnuts, goobers, goober peas, pindas, jack nuts, pinders, and manila nuts are other names for peanuts (the last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds).
Domestication Since its wild ancestors are still present in South America, there is evidence that peanuts were domesticated there. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City), they found tlalcacahuatl (Nahuatl="earth cacao"=peanut, from Mexican Spanish, cacahuate) being sold in the marketplace. The plant was thereafter exported worldwide by European traders. By adopting the Kikongo name "goober," African Americans helped to promote cultivation in the English colonies of North America. The bulk of the current wild varieties of the peanut, known as man or amendoim in Brazil, is thought to have originated in Argentina or Bolivia. The peanut gained popularity in the West once it was imported from Africa to the United States. After being imported by the Portuguese from Brazil, it gained fame throughout Africa. Arachis hypogaea's bloom withers, causing the stalk to lengthen and bend downward, driving the ovary underground. As the seed develops, the interior of the pods (known as the seed coat) changes color from white to reddish brown. The whole plant, including the majority of its roots, is dug up from the ground during harvest.
The pods facilitate nutrition absorption. The fruits' wrinkled, tight shells contain two to three seeds. The mature seeds resemble those of other legumes, such as beans, however, they lack the normal strong seed coatings of legumes and instead have paper-thin seed coats. Open loam soil and sandy are ideal for peanuts. They need 500 to 1000 mm (20 to 40 in) of precipitation, or the equivalent of irrigation water, each year, and five months of moderate weather. The pods develop 120 to 150 days after the seeds are sowed. The pods won't be ripe if the crop is picked too soon. The pods will break off at the stem if harvested too late and remain on the ground. During cultivation and storage, peanuts are particularly vulnerable to contamination. Insufficient peanut storage can lead to contamination by Aspergillus flavus, a mold fungus that generates the toxin aflatoxin. Aflatoxin-producing molds are common in areas where peanuts are grown, and given the right conditions, they can produce the toxin in peanuts.
- Classification of peanut
Numerous cultivars exist for peanuts, but the four most well-known cultivar groups are Spanish, Runner, Virginia, and Valencia. Tennessee Red and Tennessee White are two further groupings. Diverse Cultivar Groups are used for different uses because of differences in flavor, oil content, size, shape, and disease resistance.
The various cultivars can be used interchangeably for a variety of tasks. The Virginia type makes up the bulk of peanuts sold in the shell, while some Valencias are also marketed because of their great size and alluring appearance. Spanish peanuts are mostly used to make peanut butter, salted nuts, and candy. Most Runners are employed in the production of peanut butter. The branching patterns and branch lengths of the various types help to distinguish them. Every type of peanut comes in a variety. The two main growth patterns are runner and cluster. Runner types grow low to the ground, whereas bunch forms grow vertically. New peanut cultivars are created and released every year, whether in the United States peanut belt or other countries. Adjustments to the planting rate, planter, harvester, dryer, cleaner, sheller, and marketing plan may be necessary with the introduction of a new cultivar. South Africa, the southern and southeastern United States, and other countries grow the tiny Spanish varieties. 90% of the peanuts grown in Georgia before 1940 were Spanish types, but since that time, cultivars with larger seeds, higher yields, and greater disease resistance have become more popular. Spanish peanuts are mostly grown in Texas and Oklahoma in the United States and have a higher oil content than other peanut species.
Spanish group Runner group names include "Dixie Spanish," "Improved Spanish 2B," "GFA Spanish," "Argentine," "Spantex," "Spanette," "Shaffers Spanish," "Natal Common (Spanish")," "White Kernel Varieties," "Starr," "Comet," "Florispan," "Spancross," and "Wilco I." In the Southeast United States, the production of Runner group peanuts has grown since 1940. Runners are present in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. This pattern is the result of food manufacturers favoring American peanuts for salting and peanut butter due to their greater flavor, roasting capabilities, and yields when compared to Spanish peanuts. Southeastern Runner 56-15, Dixie Runner, Early Runner, Virginia Bunch 67, Bradford Runner, Egyptian Giant (also known as Virginia Bunch and Giant), Rhodesian Spanish Bunch (Valencia and Virginia Bunch), Virginia group, and Virginia group are some cultivars of runners. In Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Georgia, huge-seeded peanuts are grown. Huge peanuts are required for processing, particularly for salting, confections, and roasting in the shells, which is increasing consumer interest in them. The Virginia Group peanut's growth behavior is either bunching or running. The cluster can spread if it is the right kind. It reaches heights of 45 to 55 centimeters (18 to 22 inches), widths of 70 to 80 centimeters (28 to 30 inches), and rows that seldom reach the ground's surface of 80 to 90 centimeters (33 to 36 inches).
Within 5 to 10 cm of the plant's base, the pods are formed. Virginia-type peanut cultivars include NC 7, NC 9, NC 10C, NC-V 11, VA 93B, NC 12C, VA-C 92R, Gregory, VA 98R, Perry, Wilson, and Georgia Green. The Valencia Group peanuts have strong reddish stalks, a lot of foliage, and are gritty. Eastern New Mexico is where they are mostly grown in the United States. They are rather tall, standing 125 cm (50 inches) tall and 75 cm (29 inches) wide (30 inches). Pegs that grow from the main stem and side branches support the peanut pods. Only a few pods are found several inches distant from the plant's base, where the majority of them are collected. Valencia variants have no constriction between the three seeds and are smooth. Round and closely packed inside the pods are the seeds. There are two varieties—one with flesh and the other with crimson seeds. The weight of the seed is typically between 0.4 and 0.5 grams. Tennessee Red and White groups The color of the seed is the only distinction. The pods are rough, irregular, and contain fewer kernels than Valencia cultivars. The stems are green to greenish brown.