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Two microwave dielectric methods were used to determine nondestructively moisture content in unshelled and shelled peanuts from measurement of their relative complex permittivities in free space at 8.0 GHz and 24 oC. The first method is based on direct relationships between the two components of the relative complex permittivity, Á and Á , and bulk density and moisture content in unshelled and shelled peanuts. The second method allows moisture content in unshelled and shelled peanuts to be determined independent of bulk density changes with the use of a density-independent permittivity calibration function. Statistical analysis provided moisture content calibration equations along with corresponding standard errors of calibration over wide ranges of bulk density and moisture content. Also, an equation was established for determining moisture content in peanut kernels directly from measurements of microwave dielectric properties of unshelled peanut pods