American Groundnut Tubers

Apios americana

Groundnut tubers are sold by weight in 1 oz bags. The number of tubers will vary depending on the weight of the individual tubers but in general you can expect to receive three to six tubers per 1 oz bag.

Apios americana, also known colloquially as "Indian Groundnut," and by its indigenous name, "Hopniss," is found in indigenous diets from Canada to the Gulf coast. This perennial from the pea family produces both edible tubers and beans (seeds are edible but pods are fibrous!). Groundnuts can be planted with potatoes in the spring time. The vines can extend up to ten feet, with purple-pink flowers resembling wisteria from July to September. Fleshy tubers varying in size from one to eight centimeters in diameter can be steamed, roasted, boiled, mashed, or can be dried then ground into a thickening powder for recipes. A bit sweeter than potatoes, but with lasting heartiness, possibly related to the high protein content (3x more than a standard potato).

These groundnuts were grown for us by Nat Bradford (of Bradford Watermelon fame), who has selected them over the past 15 years from improved strains originally researched by Dr. Blackmon of Louisiana State University. Photos by Nat Bradford.

Note: A percentage of the population react to eating groundnuts with gastrointestinal issues - the percentage of people affected has been reported as anywhere from 9-25%. If you are allergic to latex, don't eat groundnuts. Cooking methods may affect digestibility, and groundnuts should never be eaten raw.  If groundnuts are new to you then begin with small serving sizes.   

Find our groundnut growing guide here.