If you’ve been growing your own peanuts this season, early fall is your time to shine! Knowing exactly when those pods are ready to come out of the ground can be a little tricky since they grow out of sight, so I’ve put together a quick guide to help you harvest your homegrown peanuts like a pro.
How to Harvest Your Peanuts
The biggest tell-tale sign that it’s harvest time is when the green foliage starts turning yellow. Once you see that color shift, you’re good to go! You can usually expect to find anywhere from 30 to 50 peanuts per plant. Here is the step-by-step on how to get them out of the garden:
- Lift the plant out of the soil
- Let the whole plant pre-dry
- Pull the pods off the stems
- Give the peanuts a final drying session
- Store them away or start snacking!
To get the plant out without making a mess, start by loosening the soil around the base with a garden fork. Be gentle here—you don’t want to bruise the pods or snap the stems. Once the soil is loose, carefully lift the entire plant upward. You’ll see all those beautiful peanuts hanging right from the roots!
Using and Storing Your Harvest
One of the coolest things about homegrown peanuts is that you can toss them fresh into your favorite recipes or stir-fries. If you aren’t ready to use them all at once, fresh peanuts actually freeze really well and will stay good in the freezer for about six months.
If you’re looking for that classic crunch or want to store them long-term, you’ll need to dry them out properly. The easiest way is to hang the entire plant (pods and all) in a dry, breezy spot for about two weeks. After that, pull the pods off the plant. They’ll need about another two weeks of drying on their own before they are fully cured and ready for the pantry.
