Abstract
In 1988 and 1990, irrigated plots of Florunner peanuts were harvested at weekly intervals to examine the progression of crop maturity profile, maturity distribution in commercial sizes, single seed roast color distribution, and descriptive flavor. Samples were collected 3 wk before through 2 wk after the optimum harvest date predicted by the hull scrape maturity method. Data from these samples indicated consisent pod maturity progression as well as increasingly higher percentages of mature peanuts in each commercial size through optimum harvest date. In 1990, the total percentage of seed from black and brown hull scrape classified pods in the medium commercial size progressed from ca. 48% at 3 wk before optimum to ca. 89% at the optimum harvest date. Distributions of roasted colors of 100 single, medium grade size seed contained fewer dark colored seed with progressive harvest date, and earlier harvests produced darker roasted peanut paste. Mean color of single seed roast color distributions increased (became lighter) in progressive harvest dates and were 3 to 6 Hunter L units higher than the corresponding paste colors. Descriptive roast flavor analysis of paste made from medium-size peanuts harvested in 1990 indicated that, in the earlier harvests, intensities of the descriptors roasted peanutty and sweet aromatic were significantly lower and intensities of dark roast and bitter taste were higher.
Author notes
1The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the U. S. Dept. of Agric. or the North Carolina Agric. Res. Serv. of the products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.