The US is one of the world's largest producers and exporters, and their harvests this year have been decimated by adverse weather.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the current spot price for a ton of unprocessed Runner peanuts, commonly used in peanut butter, at about $1,150 a ton, which is up from about $450 a year ago. A pound of shelled peanuts, meanwhile, would fetch $1.20 currently, one broker said, up from 52 cents a year ago. [/b][/i]
** I posted a link from the Wall Street Journal but it won't let me go back in and view the entire article again as I haven't subscribed, so it's just the clip above, sorry. **
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... vests.html
Peanuts are used in many, manyt products - some of which you wouldn't even think of - so it will no doubt effect more than the cost of peanut butter or tubs of salted peanuts.
http://www.soyatech.com/peanut_facts.htm
Runner
Runners have become the dominant peanut type grown in the U.S. due to the introduction in the early 1970’s of a new variety, the Florunner, which was responsible for a spectacular increase in peanut yields. Runners have rapidly gained wide acceptance because of their attractive kernel size range; a high proportion of runners are used for peanut butter. Runners, grown mainly in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, account for 80 percent of total U.S. production.
Virginia
Virginias have the largest kernels and account for most of the peanuts roasted and eaten as "inshells." When shelled, the larger kernels are sold as salted peanuts. Virginias are grown mainly in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and West Texas. Virginia-type peanuts account for about 15 percent of total U.S. production.
Spanish
Spanish-type peanuts have smaller kernels covered with a reddish-brown skin. They are used predominantly in peanut candy, with significant quantities used for salted nuts and peanut butter. They have higher oil content than the other types of peanuts which is advantageous when crushing for oil. They are primarily grown in Oklahoma and Texas. Spanish-type peanuts account for 4 percent of U.S. production.
Valencia
Valencias usually have three or more small kernels to a pod. They are very sweet peanuts and are usually roasted and sold in the shell; they are excellent for fresh use as boiled peanuts. Because of the greater demand for other varieties, Valencias account for less than one percent of U.S. production and are grown mainly in New Mexico.
Value-Added Products
Value-added products have been developed which have a number of applications including bakery, confectionery and the general consumer market. Among these are:
Peanut Flour
Made from raw peanuts which have been cleaned, blanched and electronically sorted to select the highest quality peanuts, the nuts are then roasted and naturally processed to obtain a lower fat peanut flour with a strong roasted peanut flavor.
Peanut flour is used in confectionery products, seasoning blends, bakery mixes, frostings, fillings, cereal bars and nutritional bars. Because the flour is partially defatted, it works well as a fat binder in applications such as confection centers. Using peanut flour at a level of 4-8 percent in a formulation has been found to extend the shelf life of confections and can contribute a peanut flavor to the product. Peanut flour, because of its high protein content (45-50 percent), is a good protein source in addition to its function as a flavoring agent.
Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is extracted from shelled and crushed peanuts by one or a combination of the following methods: hydraulic pressing; expeller pressing; and/or solvent extraction.
Highly aromatic 100 percent peanut oil and peanut extract also are available. These products have a strong roasted peanut flavor and aroma. Suggested applications for these products include flavoring compounds, confections, sauces and baked goods.
Roasted Peanuts
Roasted peanuts are available in several different packages and roast variations. Different coatings can be applied to the peanuts prior to and after roasting to provide a variety of products including such flavors as honey, smoked, sweet, hot and spicy, and salty.
Peanut Butter
A variety of different peanut butter products is currently available. Peanuts are roasted, blanched and sorted before grinding into a creamy consistency. Peanut butter produced in the U.S. contains a minimum of 90 percent peanuts; sweeteners and salt can be added to enhance flavor while small amounts of stabilizers are used to prevent oil separation. The small amount of stabilizer used does not contribute trans fatty acids to the product. Peanut pieces can be added to provide a crunchy style. Custom formulations also can be developed to modify the texture or sweetness or to add flavoring.
Reduced fat peanut butters are also available which provide a fat reduction of at least 25 percent. Several different varieties are sold for both consumer and industrial use with varying peanut content depending on the flavor and consistency of the product needed. Other modified formulations for peanut butter, peanut spreads and peanut paste are available from most manufacturers.
Peanut butter is available in consumer-ready packaging or in institutional/catering containers for use in bakery and confectionery products.
Peanut paste, which is 100 percent ground peanuts, is used in a variety of industrial food recipes and is available from processors.