Seed to Table Series-Peanuts

Welcome to our Summer Series,

Seed to Table.

Every Friday, we'll explore a different crop

that you can grow in your own garden.

Whether you're in mid-harvest, already looking ahead to your fall garden,

 or just thinking about growing your own,

we hope this series inspires you.

We'll begin with planting from seed or seedling,

and end up with a scratch recipe.

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Today we're talkin' peanuts.
Goobers.
The second best ingredient 
in our homemade peanut butter cups.
  (peanut butter, chocolate, honey, salt).
Guess which is first?

We bought our seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange,
which carries many seeds that thrive in the southern US.
We qualify.
They come in the package looking just like the finished crop.
The shells are removed and planted one to two inches deep
and about six inches apart.
They do well in our sandy soil. 
They were originally planted here a few years ago,
and we still get new crops each year,
which probably means that I neglected to harvest every pod.


 Once the plants start flowering,
keep them well watered.
They require a long growing period,
anywhere from 130-140 days.
They can be started indoors if your growing season is shorter.



Once the leaves start to yellow, they are ready to be harvested.
The peanuts grow on reedy stalks under ground,
and the whole plant can be pulled up to collect the treasures under the earth.




This crop is one you don't find in most gardens.
It really doesn't need much care
and the rewards will store well for months.
Can you imagine bringing homegrown roasted peanuts
to the next sporting event or picnic?
Or how about enjoying some
homemade nut butter?


  

Peanut Butter

1 C peanuts
1 T peanut or corn oil
1/4 t salt (optional)

1 t sugar (optional)

Add ingredients to small food processor
and whiz for about 3 minutes.
Enjoy!

Seed to Tables Series

Sweet Potatoes
Basil
Okra
Black-eyed Peas


 













 

Roasting Peanuts

We have peanuts growing in our yard.

They aren't ready for harvesting,

but we did find some at our local farmer's market.

Homemade peanut  butter is so much tastier

than store bought.

The first step to this yummy treat is roasting the nuts.

It's easy, quick,

and adds a depth of flavor to your nut butter.

Place unshelled peanuts on baking sheet

lined with parchment paper

and cook at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Homemade Nut Butter

 

Peanut Butter

1 C peanuts (or nut of choice)
1 T peanut or corn oil
1/4 t salt

1 t sugar

We bought a big bag of roasted peanuts

(unsalted) and spent some time this

weekend shelling them. Try to remove

all the skins as you shell. 
 I had some

neighborhood helpers, so the job

went fast (in between sampling).

I use my mini-processor for this job. This has

been one of the most useful tools in my kitchen.

A blender might work just as well, but I find this

lil' gizmo does a great job. Just throw the cup

of nuts into the mixing bowl and let 'er rip!

Here's what it looks like after you add the oil.

We didn't have peanut oil, so we used corn.

This got whizzed for about 2 minutes.

The salt and sugar was added (you can omit either

or both). Continue whizzing until you get the

consistency you desire. 

We like ours kinda on the
smoother side.
It took about another minute or so to look like this.

 










The peanut taste is sooooooooooo intense! 
We spread some on rice cakes and gobbled it up. 
I'm always looking for foods to expand my

lil' guy's diet. 
He hasn't had peanut butter in years, due to his sensitivities

with other foods. 
We are adding things back slowly. He raved about
this stuff! 
Guess I know what's for lunch!

Key Code: T=tablespoon t=teaspoon C=cup