Featured...
Groundnuts
Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
The Groundnut has a round swelling form. Its exterior is dark brown and its internal flesh is white. It offers a sweet, nutty and starchy flavor and slightly fibrous and dry texture. The size can be as small as the size of your little finger nail to as big as a melon.
Seasons/Availability
Groundnuts are available in the winter and early spring months.
Current Facts
The Groundnut, also known as potato bean, Indian potato, apios americana and wild bean, is a tuber that is distantly related to the soybean and is a member of legume family. It is an herbaceous perennially plant that can spread its vines aggressively over teen feet.
Nutritional Value
Groundnuts contain a relatively high percentage of protein that is about three times more than that of white potatoes. Furthermore, they contain a fair amount of isoflavones that can help prevent prostate and breast cancers. They are rich in peptides which can help people who suffer from high blood pressure. Groundnuts are additionally rich in calcium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber. Their sugar content is higher than that of sweet potatoes, so they are as a result higher in calories.
Applications
Groundnuts can be eaten raw, however, they are best when they are cooked by roasting, boiling, grilling or deep frying. Because of their simple and sweet flavor, they can be added to soups, stews, stir-fries, curry, tempura, miso soup and Japanese Nimono. Choose ones that have a plump and round shape since they contain more nutrients. For a few days storing, wrap them in a newspaper and store them in a cool and dark and space. You can also put them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator for a week. During the winter, you can store them in the ground until the spring.
Geography/History
Groundnuts were commonly eaten by Native Americans and the Pilgrims. They can be found along the great prairie from Quebec to Minnesota, North Dakota, south and north central Colorado, Florida and Texas in the United States. Groundnuts were an important food source in Western Massachusetts for the early settlers. The name, apios came from the Greek apion “pear" because its shape resembled a pear. Groundnuts came to Japan in the Meiji period. They were mixed in the soil when the Japanese imported apple seedlings from the US. Today Groundnuts are harvested in Aomori prefecture, Chiba prefecture, Nagano prefecture, Kochi prefecture and Akita prefecture in Japan.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Groundnuts. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Eat the Weeds |
|
Groundnut and Olive Stew |
| Forager Chef |
|
Glazed Hopniss (Groundnut) |
| Tyrant Farms |
|
Pan-fried American groundnuts |
