FAQs

More than 99% of Americans enjoy peanuts without any issue. But food-allergy reactions can be unpredictable and must be taken seriously. Since 2001, through the National Peanut Board, peanut farmers have invested more than $36 million of their own dollars into research, outreach and education about food and peanut allergies. Visit our Allergy Prevention or Allergy Management pages to learn more.

An open jar of peanut butter stays fresh up to three months in the pantry. After that, it’s recommended to store peanut butter in the fridge (where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months). But if you like room-temp peanut butter, no problem; just give it a stir if oil separation occurs.

Peanuts are a healthy, nutrient-dense food that also happen to be highly accessible, affordable and shelf-stable. They have more protein than any nut (7g per serving), contain more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals, and are a source of fiber (2.5 grams) and good fats. Peanuts offer affordable and accessible nutrition across the lifespan.

• Peanuts require less water and have the smallest carbon footprint of any nut. For example, it takes 3.2 gallons of water to grow 1 ounce of peanuts, but it takes more than 28.7 gallons to grow 1 ounce of almonds. Peanut plants have a unique ability to improve soil.
• Peanuts are nitrogen-fixing, which means they take nitrogen from the air and produce their own in the ground, which benefits other crops. Peanuts are nature’s “zero-waste” plant; everything from the roots to the hulls are utilized.

Across the U.S. Peanut Belt, peanuts are planted after the last frost in April through May, when soil temperatures reach 65° to 70°F. Farmers harvest 140 to 150 days after planting, which is typically in September/October.

Peanuts are grown across the South and Southeastern U.S. 

Yes, there are four different “types” of peanuts, which are favored for various purposes: snacking, enjoying roasted in-shell, in candy or ground into peanut butter. The four varieties include:

• Runner
• Virginia
• Spanish
• Valencia

Peanuts are technically a legume, as they are grown in the ground enclosed in a pod. They are in the same family as beans, peas and chickpeas.