Welcome March!

Somehow March arrived. 2010 must be in quite a hurry....

I just learned that March is National Peanut month. A few fun facts about our favorite "nut."

* Peanuts are NOT nuts. They are legumes and grow underground.

* Two of our United States Presidents were peanut farmers: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.

* It takes 850 peanuts to make an 18 oz jar of peanut butter.

* There are four distinct types of peanuts: Runners (most commonly used in peanut butter); Virginias (most commonly eaten out of the shell); Spanish (most commonly in peanut candy); and Valencia (less common and sweet!).

* Raw peanuts in an intact shell can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 months; 6-9 months in the freezer.

* Peanuts and peanut butter are an excellent source of protein and contain nearly half of our essential vitamins and 35% of essential minerals.