Virginians know peanuts are not nuts

PeanutsPhoto byIvar Leidus/Wikipedia Screenshot

Farmers and others in Virginia know that peanuts are not nuts. They know that because nuts grow on trees, but peanuts grow underground. Therefore, they are legumes. While calling them nuts may be technically inaccurate, most people still refer to them that way.

Peanuts Grow UndergroundPhoto byAshley Johnson Screenshot

Peanuts are versatile

Virginia was the first known North American location where peanuts were planted. The legume, often referred to as a nut, is very versatile. It can be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted. Peanuts are popular in Virginia recipes, from peanut soup to peanut butter pie.

Virginia peanuts

Peanuts are a staple crop and famed culinary flavor in Virginia. Virginia peanuts stand out from the other peanut varieties in size and taste. They are the largest peanut, are more flavorful than other varieties, and have a characteristic crunch when eaten.

Out of the total peanut production in the United States, Virginia peanuts make up about 15% annually. About 26,000 acres of peanuts are grown in Virginia.

The first known commercial peanut crop was grown in 1842 in Virginia’s Sussex County, close to the present-day town of Waverly. The sandy, loamy soil of the region was the perfect consistency for growing peanuts, and over the next four decades, Virginia would become the top producer of peanuts in America.

PeanutsPhoto byAshley Johnson Screenshot

Fun facts about peanuts

• First and foremost, peanuts are not nuts because they grow underground. Therefore, they are legumes.
• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• Virginia President Thomas Jefferson and Georgia-born President Jimmy Carter were both peanut farmers.
• Before machinery, workers had to pull peanuts from the ground and shake the dirt off the vine with a pitchfork. Then, workers stacked the vines on a stick in the ground for the peanuts to dry.
• To harvest the crop today, a harvester machine pulls up the entire plant. Farmers remove the peanuts from the roots and then leave the plants behind to act as natural compost for the soil.