Project Number: 6645-43440-009-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Dec 22, 2004
End Date: Nov 30, 2009

Objective:
Determine the effect of production location, maturity, curing, seed moisture, composition, processing and relevant interactions to improve flavor and flavor consistency in peanut varieties and breeding lines. Identify, isolate, and characterize biochemcial/bioactive components in peanuts that influence or indicate flavor, flavor potential, off-flavor, or nutritional quality. Evaluate microwave heating to cure and blanch peanuts.

Approach:
Individual effects of maturity, composition, and moisture content of individual seed and how these factors interact during blanching and subseqent oil and dry roast processing will be examined in varieties and breeding lines of peanuts grown in the Uniform Peanut Performance Trials (UPPT) at several different locations. Peanut samples with high standard flavor profiles, unique flavor profiles, and peanuts subjected to various deviations in production, curing, and handling procedures will be evaluated for variations in components identifiable by GC, HPLC, and other chromatographic methods. Compunds associated with specific flavor characteristics unique in presence or magnitude will be isolated and identified by GC-MS or HPLC-MS. Newly developed microwave technology that provides uniform exposure to microwave energy will be utilized to study the effects of various time and power protocols on drying rate, flavor, and shelf-life of shelled and inshell peanuts.