PEANUTS OR HPS

Peanuts / HPS / with kernels are family of legume with flowers of pea flower in shape, 2 to 4 cm (0.8 to 1.6 in) (¾ to 1½ in) across, yellow with reddish veining. The specific name, hypogaea means “under the earth”; after pollination, the flower stalk elongates, causing it to bend until the ovary touches the ground. Continued stalk growth then pushes the ovary underground where the mature fruit develops into a legume pod, the peanut – a classical example of geocarpy. Pods are 3 to 7 cm (1.2 to 2.8 in) long, containing 1 to 4 seeds. HPS nuts refers to the family of peanuts which are Hand-Picked and selected.

Characteristics

• Peanuts are known by many other local names such as earthnuts, groundnuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pignuts.
• Despite its name and appearance, the peanut is not a nut, but rather a legume.

Uses

Peanuts have many uses. They can be eaten raw, used in recipes, made into solvents and oils, medicines, textile materials, and peanut butter. Boiled peanuts are a preparation of raw, unshelled green peanuts boiled in brine and often eaten as a snack. More recently, fried peanut recipes have emerged – allowing both shell and nut to be eaten.
Dry peanuts can be roasted in the shell or shelled in a home oven if spread out one layer deep in a pan and baked at a temperature of 350 °F or 177 °C for 15 to 20 min (shelled) and 20 to 25 min (in shell).