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National Peanut Day

Food · September 13

A food day for the peanut itself: a legume that flowers above ground, then ripens its pods in the soil, and ends up roasted, ground or boiled.

National Peanut Day falls on Monday, September 13, 2027. That is 321 days away.

The peanut is not a true nut. It is a legume, a relative of beans and peas, and it grows in a way that surprises most people the first time they hear it.

The plant flowers above ground. After a flower is pollinated, a stalk grows downward and pushes into the soil, and the pod develops there, out of sight. At harvest, farmers dig the plants up and let them dry before the peanuts are separated from the vines. So the snack in a ballpark bag started its life as a buried pod, which is a fairly odd career path for a crop.

Inside the shell, each pod usually holds a couple of seeds wrapped in a thin papery skin. That skin is edible, a little bitter, and often rubbed off after roasting. Roasting deepens the flavor and gives the familiar toasty smell. Ground long enough, roasted peanuts turn into peanut butter, thanks to the oil they contain.

For a closer look at the plant itself, a raw peanut in the shell is the easiest starting point. Crack one open and you can see the two halves of the seed and the tiny germ tucked between them, the part that would have sprouted. Some garden centers sell peanut plants or seed peanuts, and they grow well in warm places with loose, sandy soil.

Peanuts are a common allergen, so check with guests before putting out a bowl, and keep them away from small children, who can choke on whole nuts.

Ways to celebrate

• Crack open a peanut and look for the small germ between the halves.
• Compare a roasted peanut with its skin on and off.
• Grind roasted peanuts in a food processor to watch them become butter.
• Look for a peanut plant or seed peanuts at a garden center.
• Ask guests about allergies before serving peanut snacks.

Dates

All national days on September 13

Also on September 13

• International Chocolate Day
• Uncle Sam Day
• Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
• Positive Thinking Day

Categories: Food days