"First of all," says Nancy Racz, part-owner, along with husband Ernie, of Vittoria, Ontario based Kernal Peanuts. "Peanuts aren't nuts at all. They're legumes."That distinction made, Racz goes on to quip that the former family tobacco farm went nuts in the late 1970s. "My father-in-law planted a few peanut seeds – he was forever growing something – and they grew well."
Peanuts, thought to have originated from Brazil or Peru, grow underground, as edible seeds enclosed in pods. "We have tours here all the time and people often ask where the peanut trees are," says Racz. "We have to tell them there aren't any."
Eaten fresh from the ground, peanuts taste much the same as peas or beans. "We sell a lot of fresh peanuts – during harvest only, because they are a very fresh product – to the Asian market in Toronto."
In fact, says Racz, the real name of peanuts is ground peas. "They flower above the ground, close to the ground. When the flower matures, it grows into a peg that looks like a bean sprout, pointed and curving down to the ground. It pushes itself down into the ground, one of the reasons you need loose, sandy soil to grow peanuts. The peanut matures at the end of this peg."
The history and people behind Kernal Peanuts
What started as 20 rows of peanuts became 20 acres the following year and continued to grow over the years, incorporating in 1982, eventually switching from a joint tobacco and peanut growing operation to strictly peanuts.
"We grow a Valencia peanut, which is a smaller, sweeter tasting peanut," says Racz. There are only four varieties of peanuts: Valencia, Spanish (small size kernels), Virginias (large kernels often called cocktail nuts), and Runners (medium size kernels). "We grow the peanuts, dry and process them, storage them and then make them into product for wholesale and retail."
Products offered by Kernal Peanuts
Kernal Peanuts products include peanuts roasted in the shell (salted and unsalted), shelled peanuts (Unsalted, Salted, Garlic, Extra Garlic, BBQ, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion, Dill, Mild Cajun, Hot Cajun, Salsa, Hickory), peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), peanut brittle, no-sugar chocolate peanut clusters, and no-sugar chocolate peanut butter cups. Click here for a complete product list.
"Our best selling product is salted peanuts, but our second best seller is garlic peanuts," says Racz. A new offering – peanut butter and flax – will be available soon.
If you use peanuts in baking, Racz recommends you store them, sealed, in the fridge or freezer. "Our bags have a very high oxygen barrier – it's the air that makes peanuts go stale. They can be kept in your freezer for a year, and in your fridge for six to nine months."
Where to get Kernal Peanuts
Got peanut envy? Kernal Peanuts takes orders over the phone (1-888-987-3333), by fax (519-426-9229), through e-mail (kernal@kwic.com), with delivery to all points in Canada.
