Peanuts are unbelievably inexpensive to grow, and are a solid option for nutrition and people tend to enjoy the flavor. So, y'know, sorry to all the allergic people.
Yeah, they grow kind of like a potato as nodules ~~on the roots~~ of an annual plant that's easy to grow as a field crop. As opposed to tree nuts that grow on trees that take a long time to produce, need regular maintenance, need lots of irrigation to produce well, and are more difficult to mechanically harvest.
The two groups are drastically different in what it takes to grow and process them.
That isn’t how they grow.
It’s waaayyy weirder than that.
They start as flowers above the ground and then after pollination the flower stems bend to the ground and bury themselves to make the peanut.
Peanuts are fucking weird
Yup. They're basically beans that were raised as tubers and think they're tree nuts.
Then you boil them in a brine and they become redneck oysters.
Boil them with crab boil and a ton of crushed red pepper. So good.
The best I can find around here in north Texas are pre packaged raw peanuts, so they’re kinda old and super dry. They still boil up fine, but it takes for-fucking-ever. I’ve found that salt and Adobo seasoning gives them a nice mellow garlic flavor that works really well for me. Canned Cajun style are good too, though there are more squishies than I’d prefer.
Damn, that’s nuts.
lol
I had no idea. Thank you for expanding my knowledge on a plant that I eat almost daily. Truly fascinating!
Thanks for the tidbit, I wasn't aware of just how strange they were since I haven't grown them myself. Maybe I should try growing some this year.
I want to try growing peanuts so bad, but I am renting right now and I don’t think they would grow worth a fuck in a grow bag
It does seem like something that could be worth just trying. I can't imagine the seeds/nuts would cost much. So if you already have grow bags there's not much to lose by experimenting with it.
Do you have a balcony that gets some direct light? I tried balcony growing in a northwest facing apartment balcony. It was enough to keep some things alive, but not enough light to actually get much flowers or fruits. I definitely appreciate your frustration.
That was one of our main motivations to buy a house tbh. So many plants never truly thrive in containers, and spending hundreds on grow lights to grow $10 worth of food is hard to justify.
It’s my main motivation too. lol
I’m looking but the market is dead in the winter and with rates where they are.
Sure they would. I semi-accidentally grew some in a pot once.
Wow! So little water!
I was in a Thai restaurant once and overheard a woman actually say to the waiter "I'm allergic to peanuts, is there anything on the menu you'd recommend". I left shortly afterwards so didn't see if she died by breathing the air in there...
I figured they had to be cheap. So many products skimp on everything else and put lots of peanuts or peanut butter in there
I kept a bag of raw peanuts for a little too long once and they started to sprout. I stuck some in a planter and those things grew like crazy.
I've been recently eating sunflower seeds and I'm pretty happy with the calories, flavors, and cost.
Great mixed into salads.
Ooh, good reminder. I liked them a while ago and just haven't thought of them lately. I'll have to look for them next time I'm out
Shops here used to (probably still do...) sell them seasoned with various flavourings, but the chilli ones were fantastic if you like that sort of thing. The extra flavour makes them feel more substantial, and it'd be easy to do yourself.
My protip for sunflower seeds with the shell: get a jar/bottle with a smallish opening. Transfer the sunflower seeds to the jar/bottle. Then you can easily pour one at a time directly into your mouth. I have a cup for putting the shells in. It's a great passive snack while working and I don't need to get any of the dust on my hands from the shells (e.g. salt or flavor powder).
Costco sells bags of roasted pumpkin seeds that scratch a similar itch for me. Not quite as cheap as sunflower seeds, but about 10 bucks for a 2lb bag that lasts quite awhile.
Pumpkin seeds are great, too, but to get the good ones that are still in the shell and also not completely coated in salt can be a little challenging and expensive. I get them from Amazon from time to time when I feel like splurging outside of pumpkin season.
I’ve noticed the same thing but fortunately I still am crazy for peanuts. An interesting observation though and now you have me fearing getting sick of them.
This is just not relatable at all for me. Is this an American thing?
Yes
Yes
Absolutely. Kind of surprising considering how common peanut allergies are, but they're in all kinds of things. And almost every package of mixed nuts is like 60% peanuts.
Not exactly the same, but as a type 1 diabetic with a nut allergy, I feel you with how annoying it is that all the good low carb snacks seem to be packed with peanuts, cashews, and/or almonds.
Fortunately for me, I like dark chocolate or I'd be completely SOL.
See, I don't care for dark chocolate.
And yes, lower carbs is what I'm going for. Not fully low carb, but I find that I do better through the day when my snacks are high protein and my meals are balanced.
Hello,
May I ask where you live? I was in the US some time back and noticed the same thing as you.
Yep, I'm in the US
Mixed nuts. Throw in some macadamia nuts now and then. Unsugared dried fruits will help with the flavor profile
I love peanuts like nothing but it can get monotonous after a while
My favorite mix has dried pineapple in it, nothing else changes the nutty flavor as much
FYI, pineapple and watermelon are high on the glycemic index, while most other fruit is considered medium or low. Further, dried pineapple is usually sugared. Most whole fruits, and especially berries, can be eaten in moderate quantity by people watching their blood sugar.
My best advice is to find a brand of vanilla whey protein that you like. Preferably something thats advertised for "lean mass" (check the fats and carbs... buy a small container for trial purposes)
You want your morning pick me up? Add a few espresso shots mix it on skim milk and its now a vanilla latte that can sub in for breakfast.
Got some strawberries handy? Its now a strawberry shake.
Post workout protein bomb? (Yes I know you're over peanuts but Im not) 2 scoops of protein, 1 scoop of peanut butter powder, 1 banana, 1 egg and about a shot glass of maple syrup and mix on whole milk... its a reasonably large calorie hit but its also 50% of my daily protein in one go.
Chilli Chocolate? Obviously this one is "to taste" but add fresh chillis and either Cocoa powder or chocolate syrup (depending on how good you want to be)
Id also say that most people in general who try to "eat healthy" by intuition are also terrible at it. I wholeheartedly believe everyone should try a month of weighing their food and tracking their macros. If you start making regular better choices and tracking not just daily but weekly, you would be surprised at what you can fit into a "healthy" diet.
Nuts by themselves can be a good snack. I get smoked almonds and theyre really good on their own. Chia seeds, fruit and yogurt are good together. Nutritional yeast is good on buttered toast and anything cheesy. Sliced carrots in vinegar, dill and garlic are addictive, have no added salt and are good for you. Hummus and veggies of your choice are also good. (We get the spicy kind)
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