CURING PEANUTS USING CONTINUOUS FLOW DRYERS

A two–year study was conducted to determine the potential for curing peanuts using continuous flow dryers with minimal detrimental effects on quality. A single–pass continuous flow dryer and a recirculating batch dryer were compared with conventional wagon drying systems. The rate of change of peanut kernel moisture content (% w.b./h) was considerably higher in the single pass continuous flow (2.1%/h) and the recirculating batch (1.0%/h) dryers than observed in conventionally cured peanuts (0.41%/h). Peanuts cured using the single–pass continuous flow dryer had unacceptably high levels of split and bald kernels when compared to those cured in wagons. The recirculating batch dryer resulted in significantly higher percent split kernels and skin slippage. However, the reduction in peanut milling quality may be acceptable in order to achieve the faster drying rate.