Microwave Vacuum Drying Effect on Peanut Quality1

Abstract Florunner peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) were grown during the 1984 season near Tifton, Georgia. Two planting dates spaced one month apart were used to obtain four weekly digging dates. Peanuts from each harvest were windrow dried for 4 days, mechanically harvested and placed into a ventilated wagon for 1 to 4 days. Peanuts were subsequently removed from the wagon, shelled at 8 to 22% moisture (wb), and microwave vacuum dried at nominal rates of 4, 8, 16, and 32 times the normal rate of conventional wagon drying. Harvest group, microwave treatment level, and order of processing were configured in a Latin Square design. Concurrent with each microwave run (MV), a separate portion of the shelled peanuts was deep bed dried (CS) and another portion was similarly dried but within shell (CH). Analyses of variance were performed to determine the significance of treatment type, microwave level, harvest group, and processing order differences on splitting and skin slippage tendencies, mold growth, and germi...