Barefoot Memories - Goober Peas

Last Fall, Pap and Mom were going to visit Pap's brother that lived in Laurel County and I tagged along. Uncle Rol is about 6-years older than Pap, and a man born with green fingers. Pap works hard at farming and gives all the time and attention to his farm and crops as possible, but Uncle Rol is one of those fortunate folk that could drop a peach pit in a stack of stones, forget it a decade or two and reap an orchard of perfect fruit. Some folk are just gifted that way; Older Sister is like that too, whatever she plants will thrive. Anyway, while we were at Uncle Rol's, he brought out a gallon container and gave me. Oldest Sister and I visit with this aunt and uncle occasionally when we are out doing genealogical research, and Uncle Rol seems to be amused and tolerant of our efforts.

Inside the gallon container was green peanuts that he had harvested a couple weeks before. September is the appropriate time to take in the peanuts, that allows them time to dry on the vines. His farm was largely composed of a loose sandy soil. I asked if he thought they would grow in a ground more of the red clay around Pap's farm. We discussed growing peanuts, how they got the name goober peas, and how they had gained importance during the civil war. Like Pap, Uncle Rol enjoyed reading, and was knowledgeable about many topics. He explained that during the days of the civil war, many people were starving from lack of food and money. Peanuts were grown easily in the southern soil, and many folks took to gathering the peanuts, cured them by hanging the vines up to allow the peanuts to dry on the vines. They are high in protein, and when cooked shelled like soup beans, with middling meat, produced a satisfying food source. After washing the peanuts (in their shell) well, some folks take to soaking the peanuts complete with shell in a solution of salt, sugar, Cajun seasonings, then boiling for a some time, then drying them, they made for a tasty, protein rich snack. Other people lightly oiled the dried peanuts and roasted them over a campfire, then sprinkle them with salt. Others liked to boil them in a briny solution for a yummy softer treat. As for me, much to my surprise, I seem to like plain dried raw/green peanuts best of all.

This Spring, Uncle Rol sent me a paper poke of raw peanuts to use for seed to sow. Pap helped me find the best place to plant them, and he worked the ground up each time he worked up the garden. To sow them I used the little laying off plow, I carefully carved a few rows of furrows that I sprinkled carefully with peanut/seed, and loosely covered with a couple inches of silky dirt. As the summer progressed, and the vines began to grow I tended them like a special project. Weeds weren't allowed to grow, and I carefully heaped dirt up around the base of the vines to form mounds for the expanding peanuts to grow, much like you’d do for potatoes.

Finally, September came, and the green vines began acquiring a yellowing leaf or two. Using a tater fork, I inserted the fork into the ground and used my foot to flip the peanut ladened vines to flip out. These vines were hung up and allowed to air dry. A couple weeks later, holding the vine top, shook the dust from the peanuts. Then I plucked the peanuts off the vines, and placed them on cardboard to further dry. After sufficient drying time, I gathered the peanuts up, placed them in a 5-gallon bucket to store in a cool dry place. I expect this winter will find me occasionally roasting a few, though to be honest, I expect that I'll most likely satisfy my goober pea craving this winter with an occasional handful of raw cured peanuts.

I wear shoes now, but sometimes I have barefoot memories.