How to dry peanuts quickly and correctly in the oven

Peanuts are a tasty and nutritious food. Fresh peanuts contain a lot of moisture and oil, so they spoil during storage. To preserve them, you need to know how to dry them yourself and what methods to use. The simplest method is to dry them in a hot frying pan. You can use your existing kitchen appliances, but electric appliances will greatly simplify the process.

Selecting and preparing peanuts

When buying peanuts at the store, it's important to assess their quality. The skin should be firm, and the pod should contain firm kernels. Buy large, light-colored peanuts without blemishes or signs of mold. A grayish color indicates immaturity or excessive moisture.

Fresh peanut bushes are hung to dry in a ventilated area for two weeks. If storing the pods, they are washed and then dried. Properly prepared peanuts are easy to dry and store.

Methods for drying peanuts

When drying at home, use household appliances:

• multicooker;
• microwave oven;
• electric dryer;
• oven;
• air grill.

Let's take a closer look at how to do this.

In the oven

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). You can use unshelled or unpeeled nuts. Spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit), stirring the peanuts first.

Wait 10-15 minutes. When you hear a crackling sound, the drying process is complete. Turn off the oven but leave it closed. After 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet with the grain and let it cool completely.

Important: If you have a large quantity of nuts, drying them is done in several stages.

In the microwave

In a microwave, the drying process is very fast.

We perform the following steps:

1. Place the beans in a single layer on a flat plate.
2. Sets the cooking time to 1 minute and the power to 800 watts.
3. After turning off the oven, stir the peanuts.
4. Set the drying time to 20 seconds. After turning off, stir the nuts and check for doneness.
5. We repeat the process 4-5 times until completely dry.

You can dry shelled peanuts in the microwave.

In a frying pan

For drying, use a deep, thick-bottomed frying pan. It's preferable to dry the beans shelled; the dry skin will peel off on its own. Keep the pan on low heat for 15 minutes, then shake it and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The nuts are ready when the center is golden when broken.

You can dry shelled peanuts in a frying pan. First, rinse the pods and place them in a colander to drain. Dry until the pods break apart easily.

In a multicooker

You can also dry peanuts in a slow cooker. To do this, use the "Bake" setting. Add a cup of shelled peanuts to the slow cooker. Drying in this setting takes 30 minutes. This method is convenient because it doesn't require supervision. A signal will indicate when the drying is complete.

In an electric dryer

The drying process lasts 18-25 hours. It's important to monitor the nuts to prevent them from burning, stirring constantly. Turn off the dryer at night.

The advantage of this method is that it can dry a large volume of beans at once.

Heater

You can dry peanuts by placing a plate of peanuts on an oil-filled radiator. Central heating radiators are also suitable. This method will take a long time to dry. The nuts need to be stirred and monitored to ensure that they do not become moldy.

Air fryer

An air fryer uses hot air. Turn the device on for 5 minutes, then check the condition of the beans, and continue if necessary. While an air fryer won't burn the nuts, it can dry them out, which will reduce their quality.

Further storage of kernels

For success The following conditions are required for storing peanuts:

• low humidity;
• lack of sunlight;
• temperature around zero or slightly below zero;
• regular inspection and removal of spoiled grains.

Paper bags, cloth sacks, and cardboard boxes are used for storage. Stores sell vacuum-packed, shelled peanuts. Opened bags should be used within a week.