Schronce's Black Peanut is a handcrafted heirloom developed over many years by Gordon Schronce of Iron Station, North Carolina, who selectively bred darker-skinned peanuts with more seeds per shell to create this distinctly black variety. Unlike the similar Carolina Black Peanut, Schronce's Black runs slightly sweeter and often produces 3 to 4 seeds per shell rather than the typical 2. Growing in zones 9-11, this annual needs 125 to 140 days to mature and requires full sun and warm temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a living example of patient, deliberate seed saving, where one gardener's attention to detail transformed a few black peanuts into a superior cultivar worth growing today.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
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Moderate
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Gordon Schronce spent years hand-selecting from the black peanuts a friend had given him, keeping only those with darker skins and more abundant seeds, until he'd refined a variety noticeably superior to its Carolina cousin. The result is a peanut that's darker in color, sweeter in flavor, and consistently produces three to four seeds per shell instead of two. This is heirloom breeding at its finest: one person's careful observation creating real, measurable improvement in a crop.
Black peanuts are roasted and eaten as snacks, shelled for use in cooking, or ground into peanut butter. The slight sweetness Schronce's Black brings to the table makes it particularly rewarding when roasted and salted, or when used in recipes where that subtle sweetness can shine.
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Direct sow peanuts into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant in full sun.
Peanut pods mature underground, so harvest is based on timing rather than visual cues. After 125 to 140 days from planting, carefully dig around the base of the plant to expose the pods attached to the roots. Pull the entire plant and shake soil from the roots to reveal all the pods. The pods should be mature and fully filled; immature pods will feel light and empty. Hang the plants in a warm, dry place for several weeks to cure before removing the pods from the plant.
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“Schronce's Black Peanut began as a simple gift: a few black peanuts given to Gordon Schronce of Iron Station, North Carolina. Rather than plant them once and move on, Schronce committed to years of careful selection, harvesting and replanting only those seeds from plants with the darkest skins and the most seeds per shell. Through this methodical hand-selection, he gradually shifted the variety's traits, developing a peanut noticeably darker, sweeter, and more productive than the original Carolina Black Peanut. His work represents the kind of patient, deliberate crop improvement that home gardeners and small farmers have practiced for centuries, transforming a gift into a distinct and superior cultivar.”