56 
BULLETIN 1401, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE 
steel, colanderlike basket equipped with a bail and hoisting device, 
as shown in Figure 26. A vegetable oil of some kind, generally coco- 
nut oil, is customarily used. 
Reports^from prominent salters indicate that there is no uniformity 
in the temperature of the oil used in heating the kernels. As this 
temperature determines the length of time the nuts must stay in the 
oil, the cooking period necessarily varies considerably in different salt- 
ing plants. One large Salter brings the temperature of the oil up 
SHIPMENTS OF CLEANED AND SHELLED PEANUTS, BY SECTIONS 
MONTHLY AVERAGE, NOV., 1920-OCT., 1924 
NOV. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. 
SH ELLED PEANUTS UNSH ELLE D PEANUTS 
■ VA,N.C. KNUS EASTLRN U<>J<XH S. WESTERN [ I V A . f, C 
BISECTION BB^Jq SECTION KX-Wgl SECTION V"./,\ SECTION 
Fig. 25. — Unshelled peanuts and shelled Virginias move in fairly uniform volume throughout the 
year. Shipments of other shelled peanuts fall off heavily during the summer 
to 350° F. before putting in the first batch of peanuts. Dropping 
150 pounds of nuts into the oil so reduces its temperature that the 
thermometer usually reads from 275 to 288°. It is still hot enough, 
however, to start driving out the moisture from the peanuts. From 
this point the temperature gradually rises until it reaches about 
325° F., by which time the peanuts have acquired a light-brown 
color. About 13 to 15 minutes are required to cook a batch of 150 
pounds of peanuts at the temperature ranges just given. Other 
salters, using oil heated at lower temperatures, require up to 25 
minutes or more to cook the kernels. In a few plants the peanuts 
