Preparation and inoculation of peanuts
Peanuts were obtained from Provigo, Montreal. The peanuts were visually
inspected for defects, e.g., discoloration and mold growth, and defective peanuts
were removed from the batch. The sound peanuts were then shelled and 250-g
amounts placed in autoclavable desiccators containing glycerol solutions of known
water activity (aw). They were then sterilized by autoclaving at 121°C for 15 min,
cooled and then equilibrated until the desired a w was attained. Measurements of
a w were done on each batch of peanuts using a previously calibrated Decagon