The annual output of peanut in the United States is about 1900 thousands tons, there are seven main producing states accounting for 98% of the total output with 38% in Georgia, 23% in Dirk Texas, 11% in Alabama, 9% in North Carolina, 6% in Virginia, 6% in Florida and 5% in Oklahoma. There are about 40 thousands farms in the production area of the United States. Peanuts are exported directly from the production area through the ports in Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
There are mainly four varieties of peanut in the United States: Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia, each of which has unique shape and taste. Runner peanut accounts for 75% of peanut production in the United States and mainly used for making peanut butter, snacks and sugar food; Virginia peanut accounts for about 20% of peanut production in the United States. It is the largest of all peanuts and mainly sales as peanut fruits. The kernel of Spanish and Valencia peanut is relatively small and mainly used for sugar food.
American peanut products mainly include: peanut butter, multi flavor roasted peanut, salty roasted peanut, peanut flour, peanut oil and peanut powder.
Peanut flour is the edible raw peanuts after removing impurities, shelling and screening. Products of peanut flavor can be made through roasting and natural processing. Peanut flour can be used to make sweets, seasonings, bakery products, icing sugar, filling and nutrition meal bars. Because the peanut flour is partially defatted (12% or 28%), it can be used as the candy filling to balance the fat content. Using 4-6% of peanut flavor can extend the shelf life of candy and increase the taste.
Peanut oil is extracted mainly by one or several of the following methods in the United States. It can be extracted from the peeled and crushed peanuts: hydraulic method, pressing method and dissolve oil extraction. The peanut oil has excellent quality and unique advantages compared with other oil. It has a neutral flavor and smell, and does not absorb the smell of other foods, so that when fried with different flavors of food, the peanut oil can be clarified and repeatedly used. The delicate flavour of peanut oil is especially suitable for making cake, bread, butter, margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressing.
Peanut butter: at least 90% of peanutes in the United States are used to make peanut butter . Sweetener and salt can be added for taste. A little stabilizer can be added to prevent oil separation. You can add some peanut pieces to provide a satisfying crunch. There are consumer oriented food packaging and raw material container for roasting and making candy. Processors can provide low fat peanut butter and peanut paste made by 100% crushed peanuts as well.
Other peanut products: American manufactures using the latest food processing and packaging technology to produce high quality peanuts, including savory roasted peanut kernels, savory roasted peanut fruits, multi-flavor peanuts and sugar coated peanuts. There are many tastes including honey roasted taste, original taste and spicy taste. Manufacturers can develop new flavors and icing with consumers. There are two forms of partly skimmed peanuts: chopped peanuts and peanut kernels. The natural peanut can degrease from 50% to 34%. They can be used for processing low-fat food with longer shelf life.
Roasting peanuts and peanut butter are used widely in candy industry of the United States, such as candy bars, peanut brittle, peanut butter cookies, chocolate icing peanut butter cup and waffle bars.
