Although native to South America, peanuts also flourish in the Landes, where a unique farm in France harvests forty tonnes of these precious seeds each year.
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First published on 10/10/2023
Peanuts also grow in France. For three generations, it has been the exception of the Darrigade farm, in Soustons. It is the only one in France to produce this legume originating from Argentina and Bolivia.
On these three hectares, Thomas Delest is hard at work. At the beginning of October, it is time to harvest the peanuts. After 150 days of sunbathing and heat, they are ready to be picked up. “To know if they are ripe and good to harvest, we open the shell and the peanuts must be brown inside,” explains Thomas Delest, the manager of the Darrigade farm.
Peanuts also grow in the Landes, in Soustons.
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© France 3 Aquitaine
Eating a peanut still requires a few steps. After growing underground, the peanuts are dried on the ground for ten days. They are then harvested, the foliage on one side, the seeds on the other. “They finish drying on a trailer equipped with a blower. They will then be sorted to keep the pretty shells. The others are peeled and sent to the grill.”lists Mélanie Delest, co-manager of the farm.
These “earth cocoa” as the Aztecs called them have, for three generations, given the exceptional character of this Landes farm, the only one in France to produce the legume. “It is a crop that needs light, sandy soils, particularly when digging, so that the soil does not stick and has room to develop”explains Thomas Delest.
Here, 40 tonnes are harvested each year. So to boost the sector, already popular with French chefs, the operation teamed up with a Landes chocolatier, Totte Oronotz. Installed directly on the farm, it transforms peanuts into chocolate candies. “Once the peanuts are roasted and cooled, we add the chocolate, layer by layer”explains Totte Oronotz, in front of a copper tank, which rotates like a concrete mixer.
This year, the late summer worked in favor of the legume, which will arrive on our plates, in a savory or sweet version within a few weeks.
