Peanut Plants are Fascinating

I bought some peanut plants on a total whim. I half expected them to die within days of transplanting but they were on sale so….

Peanut plants in the ground

I stuck them in the ground and watched them flower – pretty little pea-like, yellow flowers.

Then I watched some more and, as the flowers died off, spike-like shoots came out of the branches and headed straight into the soil. These are where the peanuts form underground.

Peanut plants sending shoots into the soil

Of course I also observed the holes where the bandicoot dug at the peanut shoots – but what else could I expect?

Then there were a lot of shoots and the leaves yellowed.

Peanut plant ready for harvest

So I harvested one of the plants.

Digging up a peanut plant

About 30 nuts on this plant.

One Harvested Peanut Plant

Then I hung it to dry. It needs to hang upside down for about 2 weeks. I would have put it under the house but I’m sure the dreaded possum would have found it so the nuts dried hanging off the back of one of my dining room chairs.

Peanuts hanging to dry

Then I tasted one and it was yummy.

Raw peanut

Then I roasted a few and they were yummier. I had no idea how to roast peanuts so I just put a bunch on a tray and stuck in in the oven for a while at a low heat. I’m sure there’s an optimal time and temp but I didn’t pay much attention and both my first trial and a later attempt produced roasted nuts (though a couple in the 2nd batch were a tinsy over-roasted – as in the photo below) so I’m thinking it doesn’t matter all that much.

Roasted peanut

I am for sure positively planting more peanuts each year. I love the way the plant looks, grows and tastes!

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