By Terry Orr
My earliest memory of peanuts in the shell was at a Major League Baseball game in Kansas City oh so many years ago. Sharing a bag with my Dad and brother along with a soda still puts a smile on my face. All these years later, I still enjoy, cracking open the shell and eating fresh roasted peanuts.
Every three months or so, I order two 25 pound boxes of peanuts for our outdoor critters each morning. Putting a few on the deck railing - then the remainder tossed in our back yard. From the kitchen, we (wife, cats and I) can watch the Blue Jays swoop down and pick up a peanut. Those that spill onto the deck are fair game, between the squirrels and chipmunks.
Peanuts are also very good health-wise as they are a good source of niacin, folate, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus. They also are naturally free of trans-fat and sodium and contain about 25% protein.
U.S. peanuts fall into four basic types: Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia. Each of these peanuts is distinctive in size and flavor.
Peanut are not a Nut? Are you kidding? True...they are a Legumes/bean!
Archeologists have dated the oldest specimens to about 7,600 years, found in Peru.
Now you know.
(All images from Google)
