Green Peanut Oil

Green peanuts aren’t a kind of peanut. Instead, “green” refers to the fact that the nuts are raw, just harvested, not yet dried—a step practically all peanuts go through to prevent spoilage. 

 

Unlike bulk peanut oils for cooking that are heavily refined—often with harsh chemicals—this oil is cold pressed in small batches by Clay Oliver on his farm in Pitts, Georgia. Located about 150 miles south of Atlanta, Clay and his family have been farming there for over 100 years. Clay began pressing nut and seed oils in 2012. As Clay explains it, "We don't do anything to it, we just leave the oil in its natural state. We crush the seeds, we clean it to get anything out that's not oil, and then we bottle it." That's the standard recipe for all the best oils, from extra virgin olive oils to butternut squash seed oil.

 

Unlike most peanut oils that are neutral in flavor, in talking about his own oils, Clay says "it should taste like what it says on the label." This green peanut oil does just that. It has a vibrant freshness, almost like green beans, with a subtle nutty richness. It's not dissimilar from the intense, rich flavors of a European nut oil, like a walnut a hazelnut or pumpkin seed oil, each of which is often revered in its home region.

 

Drizzle it over fish, over roasted squash, on sauteed greens or mushrooms.