ABSTRACT
Hog peanut is native from Quebec to Montana in the north to Texas and Florida in the south. Hog peanut tends to be found along shorelines and in alluvial soils in disturbed sites, and usually not far from rivers and streams. The underground fruits are very nutritious and were once a valuable food for Native Americans, especially in the Missouri Valley. American Indians employed the pods in various ways, cooking them separately or with cornmeal, and to make bean bread. Early explorers also used hog peanuts as food. Hog peanut is a wild plant, which has not been marketed commercially as a food plant, and its “peanuts” are obtainable only from wild-growing plants. Although it is possible for home gardeners to grow their own hog peanuts, the yield is low and picking the underground beans is tedious.
