March is National Peanut Month.

March is National Peanut Month. How did National Peanut Month get started? According to the National Day Calendar website, March celebrates one of America’s favorite snack foods…Peanuts! National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941, but later morphed into a month-long celebration in 1974. Whether it is the smell of their roasted goodness, the grinding of their essence into peanut butter or just being used to make healthier cooking oil, peanuts have found their way into many of the food items we consume regularly.

Peanut cultivation and popularity in American food culture can be attributed to Dr. George Washington Carver, nicknamed “The Father of the Peanut” for his tireless devotion to this versatile legume. In fact, in 1925, Carver published a bulletin called, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.”

Peanuts are actually not nuts, but legumes. Peanuts are a very valuable source of protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols, more than any nut. They also contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and rumor has it that there is enough mental stimulation in one peanut to give a person 30 minutes of serious thinking! Need a brain recharge, eat a peanut.

At The Virginia Marketplace, Virginia peanuts are sold and highlighted in many of our gift baskets and boxes. Virginia peanuts are the largest of all the peanuts. Our Virginia peanuts are blistered, Blistered peanuts are big on crunch! First boiled in water, then roasted while still wet which causes a blister to form on the peanut, giving them their unique flavor and texture. These are crispy and awesome.