Herb peanuts

The peanut is the fruit or pod of a peanut plant. This means the peanut is not a nut, but a legume.

The peanut plant is an annual plant of around 45 cm tall. Peanut seeds are planted about five cm deep in sandy soils, preferably in lime-rich ground. The seeds sprout when the soil is warm and the plants receive enough water. Within about two weeks, the first leaves unfold above the peanut field. Thirty to forty days later, the plants flower and small shoots are formed. Sixty to seventy days after that, the pods with their kernels are fully grown.

During the harvest, the entire plant, including the roots, is removed by machine. The machine turns the plant over and lays it down with the peanuts facing upwards so that they can dry. Drying takes about two days.

In the producing countries, peanuts are kept in dry storage facilities until they are sold to producers and the processing industry. The peanuts are then tested and classified, taking into account weight, size, moisture content, damage and impurities. After storage, the peanuts are cleaned.

Special screens then sort the peanuts by size. Peanuts that need to be shelled are tumbled in drums with screens, rubbing against one another until the shells open and the kernels fall out. The shelled peanuts are then washed and sorted again. Peanuts destined for the food industry are cleaned and blanched once more. Unroasted (raw) peanuts can be shelled and eaten. For human consumption, however, it is customary to roast the peanuts first.