Peanut

Peanuts are also called peanuts. This is explained simply - it grows underground and is covered with a hard shell. Belongs to the legume family.

After pollination, where previously there were flowers, shoots with seeds appear. They are called gynophores. Shoots rush up, and then abruptly fall to the ground and burrow into the ground. It is after this that the gynophore becomes a bean, inside which 1-5 seeds can be contained. These seeds are nuts, the same peanuts that we love so much. You can find nuts only by pulling the plant out of the ground along with the root.

The peanut is a herbaceous, annual plant that loves warmth. Belongs to the moth family. Height can reach 0.75 meters. It grows as a shrub with many shoots.

The flowers are usually orange or yellow, moth shaped. They are located in the axils of the leaves in the ground or above the ground.

The fruits are beans containing 1-4 seeds inside. The length of the bean can be 1-6 centimeters. After each seed there is an interception. Seeds have an elongated, rounded shape. They are covered with a thin shell, which can have a different color.

In general, the territory of South America is considered the birthplace of this plant. It was there that she was first cultivated. After that, peanuts began to enter the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa.

On the territory of modern Russia, these nuts appeared only in the eighteenth century. Now most of the peanuts are grown in Latin America, India and China. It is also actively produced in Ukraine, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Buying peanuts is not a problem at all these days. It is sold in various forms - in shell, peeled, salted, with various spices and so on.

If there is mold on the shell, but it is not on the nuts themselves, you should not use them. Mold is dangerous because it releases toxins that are harmful to humans.

Ready packaged peanuts with salt and other seasonings, try to choose fresh, look at the date of manufacture. Although it is best to buy nuts by weight and roast them yourself. Or grow them in your own garden.

See below for details.

Peanuts are a high-calorie product. However, it can and should be used. Determining the optimal amount for a person is not difficult if you study the nutritional value.

So, for 100 grams of product we have:

Peanuts include a whole scattering of B vitamins, as well as vitamin PP, C and E. In addition, it is important to note the presence of such a component as Choline.

An important factor in favor of the use of this plant is a set of minerals. It surpasses many other nuts in this indicator.

In the composition of peanuts, the following chemical useful components can be distinguished: Se, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, K, Na, Ca, P, Zn.

Some believe that peanuts only get better, and it does not carry any particular benefit. This is a very serious misconception, since you can get a huge amount of benefits from it.

• Affects the improvement of memory, concentrates attention, fights against the occurrence of sclerosis;
• Has an effect on potency;
• Prevents diabetes;
• Calms, reduces nervous tension;
• Simply has excellent taste;
• The benefits are preserved even in the husk, which affects the improvement of immunity;
• If fried, the benefits will only increase, and the taste will be even better;
• Contains coenzyme Q10, which acts as an antioxidant, protects against carcinogens;
• Promotes better absorption of vitamin E;
• Normalize the functionality of the pancreas;
• Restore strength after a long illness;
• Prevent atherosclerosis;
• Improve liver function, treat gastritis, stomach ulcers;
• Relieves stress, improves memory and hearing, and so on.

Unfortunately, not always and not everyone can get the true benefit from this plant. After all, peanuts have certain harmful effects, and also have contraindications.

• According to statistics, about two percent of people in the world are allergic to this product. So if you are one of them, you should not eat peanuts.
• It is added to so many products, so allergy sufferers have to carefully study the compositions.
• Peanuts can slow down protein digestion. But only if it's raw. Having roasted nuts, this harmful factor ceases to be relevant.
• May contain dangerous mold due to improper storage, excessive humidity.This fungus can cause liver cancer. So throw away the bitter and unpleasantly smelling nut immediately.
• Not safe for children under three years old, can form an allergy.
• Contraindicated in varicose veins.
• It is unacceptable to use with liver disease.

Doctors have found that along with the use of peanuts, we do not just enjoy its taste. It also has great health benefits.

• The use of nuts can improve the condition of the brain vessels, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
• Peanuts are an excellent prophylactic against bowel cancer.
• Including peanuts or peanut butter in your diet reduces the risk of gallstones.

The full medical benefits of peanuts have not yet been studied, as experts are constantly finding more and more new properties of this plant.

But there are many recipes that will help you cope with certain diseases at home.

• Peanut-based "milk" is excellent for stomach and duodenal ulcers. To do this, dried nuts are crushed, 1-3 teaspoons of the resulting powder are poured with boiled, but chilled water (1 cup). Mix it all up and drink about thirty minutes before meals. It is recommended to conduct a course for a month with the use of "milk" three times a day.
• If you are faced with sinusitis, then use the following remedy. Chop a few nuts, put in a dry frying pan. Warming up on a small fire, the nuts will give off steam. Breathe it in every day before bed for 10 days.
• People who have a disrupted blood formation process, lack of strength, exhaustion, should try one useful way. By the way, it improves male "strength".To do this, you just need to include peanuts in your diet. Eat no more than 150 grams of it daily for a month.
• Colds, pneumonia and other diseases of the lungs, heart, blood vessels, you need to eat literally 15 nuts every day.
• If you have diarrhea, just eat half a glass of peanuts. But only necessarily raw.
• If you find stones in the gallbladder, eat a handful of nuts every evening.
• For pregnant women, it is useful for a comprehensive improvement in health to consume a handful of nuts every evening before going to bed. But after 4 months, give up peanuts, as you can form an allergy to this product in your child.
• For colds and dry coughs, it is recommended to add roasted peanuts to cereals.
• Excellent decoction helps with problems with the respiratory tract. To prepare it, take 100 grams of peanuts in the husk, boil it for 15 minutes, pouring in a liter of water. After insisting, the mixture should be drunk during the day in small portions. The course of treatment is 3 days.
• It will not be superfluous to prepare a tincture. Remove the peel, dry in a pan to remove the husk. It is the husk that is poured with 500 milliliters of vodka (for 8 teaspoons of the husk). Leave for two weeks, periodically shaking the bottle. Store in a dark place. Take 8-10 drops in the morning, adding to a glass of water or milk. The treatment lasts a month, and the course can be repeated only after six months. This tincture is useful for the whole body.
• Another tincture is prepared similarly, but in addition to the husk, hawthorn and motherwort are used - 1 tablespoon each. The recipe is the same as the reception. However, the tincture additionally affects the vascular and nervous system.

We advise you to watch the following video of the program "Live Healthy!", from which you will learn even more about peanuts.

Women should pay special attention to peanuts, just like men. The fact is that these nuts contribute to the production of sex hormones in the female body.

In terms of pregnancy, then you need to be careful. On the one hand, it is a strong allergen, on the other hand, a scattering of benefits.

This product is also useful for the fairer sex because it contains vitamins B and E. They, in turn, provide the body with effective protection against destructive processes inside.

Peanuts are a favorite product of many cooks. It is actively used as independent snacks or additions to dishes.

• By itself, peanuts can be dried, roasted, salted, and various seasonings can be added. Who doesn't love these salted nuts with beer.
• In Asian countries, nuts are used to make spicy sauces, salad dressings.
• Included in confectionery, cakes, dry breakfasts.
• It is made from peanut milk.
• Prepare various sweets, sweets, chocolates.
• But still the most popular peanut product is pasta.
• In fact, the use in cooking is so extensive that it is hard to say where it is not used. Most importantly, it is an affordable, healthy and incredibly tasty nut.

If you love peanuts, but prefer them in a sweet form, then be sure to try glazed nuts. It is very easy to prepare them. A set of ingredients can be found in every home, as it includes:

• A glass of sugar;
• Two glasses of raw peanuts;
• Half a glass of boiled water.

Cooking process. Turn on the oven, heat it up to 180 degrees.While it is warming up, mix sugar with water over low heat. Once you have the syrup, bring the mixture to a boil. Stir until all crystals are dissolved. Now throw nuts, previously peeled. Cook over medium heat, stirring.

After that, carefully remove the peanuts, put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Place in the oven for twenty minutes and be sure to turn it every five minutes. All.

Until now, people are actively arguing about the form in which it is better to use peanuts - raw or roasted. Therefore, we will in turn talk about the features and benefits of each of them. Let's start with raw:

• Normalizes sugar levels;
• Improves the work of blood cells;
• Increases blood circulation in the brain by 30 percent;
• It is a living, natural food;
• Has a less pleasant taste;
• Beneficial only when used wisely.

Now let's see how a roasted nut can contrast a raw one.

Key features are as follows:

• It has a pleasant, rich taste, much better than raw;
• Contain more antioxidants;
• Have the best effect for fighting cancer;
• It is characterized in general by lesser benefit with advantages in taste indicators;
• Useful when used correctly.

It can be concluded that in any form, peanuts can benefit a person. But do not forget about allergies, individual intolerance, as well as the dangers of abusing nuts.

Before salting or making glaze, it’s worth talking about how to roast these nuts in general. The easiest way is to use a frying pan. And the sequence of your actions will be as follows:

• Take a pan with a thick bottom, which will not allow the nuts to burn quickly;
• Turn on medium heat, warm up a little;
• Don't add oil, as peanuts are fatty on their own;
• Sprinkle the nuts so that they cover the bottom of the pan, but are not several "floors". It is better to fry several times, but in small portions;
• On low heat, constantly stir the nuts so that they do not burn and acquire a golden hue;
• When it reaches the desired state, turn off the fire. The husk should already be falling behind, but it is better to wait until the peanuts have cooled. This makes it much easier to remove all the husks.

You can make a very tasty and healthy treat for yourself and your children. To do this, you need a small set of ingredients:

• Powdered sugar - 1 cup;
• 3 tablespoons of water;
• 300 grams of raw peanuts;
• 2 tablespoons flaked coconut.

Take a dry frying pan, fry peanuts on it, cool and remove the husk. While the nuts are cooling, make the frosting. Boil water, add sugar, cook until thickened. Pour the glaze over the cooled nuts and mix. It remains to sprinkle the peanuts with powder and coconut flakes, leave to dry for a day.

Of course, eating ready-made nuts from a bag is convenient and tasty. However, in-shell peanuts have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is simply pleasant for many to pick it, to extract the treasured grains from there. But first, it needs to be cooked properly.

To do this, you first need to choose good nuts. The shell should be whole, clean without any damage and holes. Shake the nut. If you hear how the kernels hit the walls, then this is a bad product.

It is best to roast in the oven. To do this, heat it to 180 degrees, put it on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake. They should lie there for about 20 minutes.It is not necessary to stir.

Once the shell has cooled, you can turn on the film and click the shells.

For cooking you will need:

• 200 grams of sugar;
• 75 milliliters of water;
• 300 grams of peanuts;
• A pinch of salt.

Cooking process. Roast the peanuts if desired, mix them with sugar and water, stirring gradually. When the liquid thickens, leave the nuts to harden. You can leave it as it is, or sprinkle with more sugar crystals when the frosting has cooled slightly.

You will need the following components:

• A glass of raw peanuts;
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice;
• Sugar to taste;
• Brown sugar;
• 100 grams of chocolate.

Cooking. Roast and peel nuts. To make the glaze, combine the lemon juice and sugar, place over medium heat and stir until the crystals dissolve. After that, throw the chocolate broken into pieces so that it melts. Stir, turn off the gas. Throw nuts into the glaze and mix thoroughly. Transfer the nuts to a large flat dish, sprinkle with brown sugar if desired, and let the chocolate harden.

It is quite possible to make salted nuts on your own, and not buy it in bags at exorbitant prices.

There are several ways to add salt:

• Salt the peanuts while roasting. However, since the nuts are with husks, the salt will by and large go to waste, settling at the bottom of the pan.
• Roast, peel the husk and then salt. Again, the salt is uneven in this case, because one nut may be completely unsalted, and the other is too salty that it will not be possible to eat it. But if you take fine salt and mix thoroughly, then it can turn out well.
• Take salt to taste, dilute with water and moisten the nuts. The water will evaporate from the temperature, but the salt without crystals will settle on the nuts. Probably one of the best ways.
• The best way is to use a sprayer. Just make sure it's safe and not old glass cleaner. Dilute the salt with warm water, while frying, spray the mixture on the nuts. By the way, you can use flavoring seasonings, various additives.

Pro peanut cultivation read in another article.