Abstract: Apparatus for use in blanching edible nuts, particularly peanuts. Two generally vertical plates are disposed in spaced parallel relation to one another and connected to a drive mechanism for producing lengthwise oscillations of the two plates, both of which are covered with abrasive inner surfaces. Unblanched peanuts are fed into a gap at the top of the two plates, which are set apart by a distance generally corresponding to the average thickness of the peanuts being processed. As the peanuts move down between the plates, the oscillating action of the plates blanches the peanuts which drop out through the bottom and are carried away for further processing, packaging, inspection or the like. Vertical grooves are formed in the inner face of each plate near each end thereof to prevent the nuts from falling out of the open ends between the plates.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for buff blanching peanuts. The machine is adapted to remove the dark outer skin of shelled peanuts and, at the same time, produce a textured finish on the surface of the nuts to enhance the adhesion of an applied coating such as chocolate or the like. The buff blancher includes a pair of driven parallel rollers having abrasive surfaces and mounted in closely spaced parallel relation with one roller being offset above a lower roller. The rollers are mounted in a housing into one end of which peanuts are delivered for movement along and against the two rollers and discharged at the other end of the housing. The housing may be raised at the feed end in order to provide an incline for the flow of nuts and may be tilted about its longitudinal axis to control the degree of buffing action between the peanuts and the rollers.