Peanuts! Where is the origin of a peanut tree? What kinds of trees can produce peanuts!? And where do these trees come from? In the upcoming article, we will find some helpful information about this delectable seed and its tree. You may be shocked to find that, up until the 1930s, the bulk of the US crop was used as animal feed is given how popular peanuts are as a snack. The USDA has been attempting to promote its consumption since the late 19th century, but it took some time for its efforts to be successful. However, other cultures have been eating peanuts for a very long time. Over 7,500 years ago, peanuts were planted in Peru, according to archaeologists, and travelers from the 16th century saw them being sold in markets.
Although they are really rather unusual plants, peanuts have become so commonplace that they seem completely unremarkable. The fact that they are not really mad is one of their most interesting characteristics. Botanists define a nut as a seed with a shell formed from the protective ovary layer. Contrary to appearances, this does not include peanuts. Since peanuts' origins are very different from those of other nuts, their shell is not the ovarian covering. The majority of tree nuts, including hazelnuts and chestnuts, as well as a number of other things that are often called "nuts" but do not really meet the criteria, grow on trees. Pecans, walnuts, and almonds are a few examples of them. Both pine nuts and pistachios grow on trees. How are peanuts made? Like peas and beans, peanuts are a Fabaceae plant; they do not grow on trees. The tough, brown shell of the peanut is basically a modified peapod.
The peanut tree does not provide an annual yield. It is really a small shrub that is often planted in the late spring. The bushes typically grow between one and two feet tall, while some may grow as high as five feet. The plant produces runners at the stem's base as it grows, and these runners will eventually blossom in early summer with yellow flowers. Short-lived and self-fertile, the flowers immediately fade and the runners start to droop. The most interesting thing is what happens after that. The bulk of fruits grow from a fertilized flower, but they do so on the branch where they are clearly visible. Peanuts use a distinctive strategy. The faded bloom at the end of each runner gives rise to a tall stalk known as a peg, which is where the fertilized ovary is situated. The peg pushes into the ground as it comes into contact with it, becoming firmly fixed. After that, the tip starts to develop into a pod that houses two to four seeds. The peanut is inside of this pod.
How Are Peanuts Grown? Peanuts have an unusual life cycle, making them challenging to harvest. Nuts are easy to gather; they may be taken straight from the branches, but for many species, shaking the tree while tarps are stretched out on the ground is the simplest approach. Intriguing are peanuts. The simplest way to harvest peanuts is to remove the whole plant before winter since peanut bushes are delicate to frost. They can be manually pulled out, but modern mechanical harvesters include a blade that slashes through the plant's main root just below the earth, freeing it. Unfortunately, it is still deeply ingrained. It is then promptly lifted off the ground by the machine. Peanut plants are dug out by hand or machine, shaken to remove the soil, and then laid upside down on the ground. For three to four days, they will stay there, enabling the wet pods to dry off. Threshing the plants to separate the pods is done during the second stage of harvesting. When selecting peanuts, timing is everything. They must grow completely before being harvested, but delaying too long is fatal.
Other nuts just fall from the tree after they have matured and may be retrieved from the ground if they are left on the tree. However, if peanuts are taken too late, the runners of the pods will break and the peanuts will fall to the ground. You can always count on finding peanuts in a bag of mixed nuts. They go nicely with hazelnuts, cashews, and almonds as a supper. It is challenging to put them in the same category as peas and beans, but that is precisely what they are. Boiling peanuts, sometimes referred to as "goober peas," were widely despised by soldiers during the American Civil War. Even though they don't come from a tree, they may sometimes be used as a vegetable, but we think it's far better to keep calling them nuts.