cinisajoy
Senior Cook
Glad you are getting there. Enjoy.
Need Help Roasting Raw, Unshelled Peanuts
- Thread starter larry_stewart
- Start date
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tinlizzie
Head Chef
Larry, I wonder if you could briefly tell how you grew the peanuts. Did you start with store-bought peanuts? About how long until you had nuts and if they're underground how can you tell when they're ready to harvest?
Thank you, if this isn't just too much trouble to answer. I have a couple of fuzzy gray customers in the back yard who would thank you, too.
Thank you, if this isn't just too much trouble to answer. I have a couple of fuzzy gray customers in the back yard who would thank you, too.
OP
OP
larry_stewart
Master Chef
I got the nuts through a seed company ( possibly Burpee.com)
Jumbo Virginia Peanut Seeds and Plants, Vegetable Gardening at Burpee.com
Knowing I have a mole problem, and a squirrel problem, I had to outsmart them. I built a raised bed especially for the peanuts ( including a bottom) out of wood. This solved the mole issue. I used chicken wire to cover the newly planted peanuts, to keep the squirrels from digging up the freshly planted peanuts..
I planted them on May 25th ( then placed the chicken wire on top).
The plants started to emerge from the ground on June 1st
I periodically had to raise the chicken wire, as the plants grew, so the plant wouldn't get caught up in the chicken wire.
On june 22nd, I felt the plants were large enough to take the wire off, with no fear of the critters doing any damage.
On July 10th , the plants started to flower.
On august 31st, I was getting curious as to when they would be ready to harvest. I did some research on youtube, to find out that once the flower is pollinated, it then sends a shoot down from the flower to the soil. this shoot then ' boroughs' into the soil. At the end of this shoot, a peanut forms in time. I was in complete disbelief . I had never heard of such a thing. I figured it was like potatoes, and they just grew from the roots.
I went outside immediately, and sure enough, their were little shoots coming from the flowers, down to the soil.
What I noticed was, the plants got large enough, that they part of them were leaning over the side of the raised bed, sending shoots basically to nowhere. So , now being knowledgable about how the peanuts are formed, I placed a few planters ( field with soil) next to the raised bed to provide a place for the shoots hanging over the side to plant themselves.
On september 22nd, my curiosity got the best of me, i went outside, pulled up one of the shoots, and sure enough, there was a full sized peanut attached. Went back to the internet, and did more research, and basically it said when the plants start to die, you should pick the peanuts. Problem is, up here in NY, the cold weather was around the corner. I let the plants grow as long as I could before any freeze or frost would kill them anyway.
On October 12th , we harvested the peanuts. Probably got about 300 - 500 peanuts from about 30 or so plants. Most were completely formed, some were not.
Definitely a cool experience.
The only growing mistake I made, was not accounting for the plants to lean over the side of the planter. I was unaware of how the peanuts formed. Now that I know, I will either build a bigger planter to allow for the leaning plant, or just change locations.
The plants get about the size of a string bean plant ( the bush variety).
Hope this helped .
I kept pretty accurate records of my garden this year.
larry
Jumbo Virginia Peanut Seeds and Plants, Vegetable Gardening at Burpee.com
Knowing I have a mole problem, and a squirrel problem, I had to outsmart them. I built a raised bed especially for the peanuts ( including a bottom) out of wood. This solved the mole issue. I used chicken wire to cover the newly planted peanuts, to keep the squirrels from digging up the freshly planted peanuts..
I planted them on May 25th ( then placed the chicken wire on top).
The plants started to emerge from the ground on June 1st
I periodically had to raise the chicken wire, as the plants grew, so the plant wouldn't get caught up in the chicken wire.
On june 22nd, I felt the plants were large enough to take the wire off, with no fear of the critters doing any damage.
On July 10th , the plants started to flower.
On august 31st, I was getting curious as to when they would be ready to harvest. I did some research on youtube, to find out that once the flower is pollinated, it then sends a shoot down from the flower to the soil. this shoot then ' boroughs' into the soil. At the end of this shoot, a peanut forms in time. I was in complete disbelief . I had never heard of such a thing. I figured it was like potatoes, and they just grew from the roots.
I went outside immediately, and sure enough, their were little shoots coming from the flowers, down to the soil.
What I noticed was, the plants got large enough, that they part of them were leaning over the side of the raised bed, sending shoots basically to nowhere. So , now being knowledgable about how the peanuts are formed, I placed a few planters ( field with soil) next to the raised bed to provide a place for the shoots hanging over the side to plant themselves.
On september 22nd, my curiosity got the best of me, i went outside, pulled up one of the shoots, and sure enough, there was a full sized peanut attached. Went back to the internet, and did more research, and basically it said when the plants start to die, you should pick the peanuts. Problem is, up here in NY, the cold weather was around the corner. I let the plants grow as long as I could before any freeze or frost would kill them anyway.
On October 12th , we harvested the peanuts. Probably got about 300 - 500 peanuts from about 30 or so plants. Most were completely formed, some were not.
Definitely a cool experience.
The only growing mistake I made, was not accounting for the plants to lean over the side of the planter. I was unaware of how the peanuts formed. Now that I know, I will either build a bigger planter to allow for the leaning plant, or just change locations.
The plants get about the size of a string bean plant ( the bush variety).
Hope this helped .
I kept pretty accurate records of my garden this year.
larry
OP
OP
larry_stewart
Master Chef
In the Peanut 1 pic , if you look in the lower right corner, you will see the wooden trough I built for the peanuts. It was about 8ft by about 1 1/2 ft.
In Peanut 2 , in the center ( slightly to the left) you will see the wooden trough and plants starting to grow. If you look really closely, you can see the green chicken wire on top of it, protecting the peanuts from the squirrels. Ironically ( and I only noticed this now), is the damn squirrel is eating my corn plants in the right center
, that bastard
In peanut 3 , lower right corner, you can get an idea of what the plants look like. ( July25th)
Peanut 4, is me picking the peanuts
Peanut 5 are the peanuts after washing them off.
In Peanut 2 , in the center ( slightly to the left) you will see the wooden trough and plants starting to grow. If you look really closely, you can see the green chicken wire on top of it, protecting the peanuts from the squirrels. Ironically ( and I only noticed this now), is the damn squirrel is eating my corn plants in the right center
, that bastardIn peanut 3 , lower right corner, you can get an idea of what the plants look like. ( July25th)
Peanut 4, is me picking the peanuts
Peanut 5 are the peanuts after washing them off.
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Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 25,033
This is very interesting. Thanks, Larry!
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Way cool, larry Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
OP
OP
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Just wish my growing season was a little bit longer. But still a cool experience.
tinlizzie
Head Chef
Wow, Larry! How very nice of you to go to the trouble of explaining so thoroughly and with pictures, too! And what a beautiful garden you have. Thank you so much.
Cheryl J
Chef Extraordinaire
What a beautiful yard, Larry! In addition to your garden, I also LOVE the birdhouses.
OP
OP
larry_stewart
Master Chef
What a beautiful yard, Larry! In addition to your garden, I also LOVE the birdhouses.
Thanks.
In addition to cooking, gardening is one of my favorite hobbies ( Im glad cooking and vegetable gardening go hand in hand).
I grow flowers too, but Im more interested in growing things I can eat
I started the birdhouses a few years ago, buying cheap ones, but they would fall apart after a year. Ive learned to invest in better quality birdhouse. And I usually get a few residents each year ( mostly chickadees and wrens).
I still have 4 more to put on the fence before next spring.
