NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVER’S DAY

March 1st was made for National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. Ah, peanut butter. One day is not enough to recognize peanut butter. The goober has been paired, blended, and added with many tasty results!

The creamy, nutty goodness known as peanut butter is so amazingly delicious that when we pair it with creamy and dreamy chocolate, we almost have bacon.

We digress. Another great love is peanut butter ice cream. Blended smooth with a few chopped nuts and a drizzle of peanut butter syrup is a peanut butter lover’s dream come true.

The slang term for peanut butter in World War II was “monkey butter.”

A monkey visited the lab at Kellogg’s one day and dipped his banana in a jar of peanut butter, and he’s been ape over the combination ever since. Actually, banana slices with peanut butter sandwiched between them and dipped in chocolate make a terrific snack.

Peanut butter and bananas were a combination even fit for a king. Elvis Presley loved a peanut butter and banana sandwich or two.

Then peanut butter got its passport and traveled the world. It paired up with some shrimp and got a little saucy. The result is a Thai peanut butter shrimp that is so yummy it had to be true love.

Things heated up a little when peanut butter jumped into the stew pot to sweat it out with a spring chick seasoned with some cayenne. African Chicken Peanut Stew tastes better than ever.

One of the best times peanut butter has ever had is with marshmallows. Fudge enjoys a satisfying dessert status to be envied.

Fun Peanut Butter Facts:
  • It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
  • C.H. Sumner first sold peanut butter in the United States at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis.  He sold $705.11 of the “new treat” at his concession stand.
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was introduced to America in 1928.
  • The oldest operating manufacturer and seller of peanut butter has been selling peanut butter since 1898.
  • Mr. Ed TV’s used peanut butter as a secret ingredient to get a horse talking.
  • Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
  • January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day.

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVER’S DAY HISTORY

National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day first made its appearance in 1990 commemorating the anniversary of when peanut butter made its commercial debut in the United States. Promoted by both the Adult Peanut Butter Lovers Fan Club and the National Peanut Board, the day found full cover peanut butter spreads in newspapers across the country. An un-named doctor was given credit for first providing peanut butter to his patients. In March of 1890, he began providing the spread to those patients who had difficulty chewing. More than 100 years later, we continue to celebrate the benefits of peanut butter, and its history, too.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #PeanutButterLoversDay

  • Fall in love with some peanut butter or a new peanut butter combination.  
  • Try peanut butter and apples.  
  • Or maybe fried peaches and peanut butter.
  • Try one of the recipes above.
  • Or how about peanut butter and bacon.  
  • Share your favorite peanut butter combos.
  • Use #PeanutButterLoversDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY

National Peanut Butter Day on January 24th recognizes an American staple in our pantries. Whether creamy or chunky, with chocolate or with jelly, peanut butter gets the recognition it deserves each year on this day. 

The early peanut butter made by the Aztecs and Incas around 1000 BC was more of a paste and not nearly as creamy as the peanut butter we know now.

Peanut butter didn’t become widely used until the 20th century. First, the peanut had to be considered more than animal feed, which was until the late 1800s. At the turn of the century, inventions that made planting, cultivating, and harvesting the legume (the peanut isn’t a nut at all) made it possible to see the peanut as a retail and wholesale food item.

Peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E, B6, niacin, calcium, potassium and iron, is packed with protein and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fat.

Bringing Peanut Butter to the Masses

We can thank four men for the inventions and processes that bring us the creamy, smooth peanut butter we enjoy today: Marcus Gilmore Edson of Canada, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis, Missouri, and chemist Joseph Rosefield.

In 1884, Edson developed a process to make peanut paste from milling roasted peanuts between two heated plates. The famous cereal maker and health food specialist of the time, Kellogg, patented a process with raw peanuts in 1895. Dr. Straub is responsible for patenting a peanut butter making machine in 1903.

Peanut butter was introduced to audiences at the 1904 Universal Exposition in St. Louis at C.H. Sumner’s concession stand.

But the man who brought us the peanut butter we know and love today was Joseph Rosefield. In 1922, through homogenization, Rosefield was able to keep peanut oil from separating from the peanut solids. He later sold the patent to a company that began making Peter Pan peanut butter. Rosefield then went into business for himself selling Skippy peanut butter through Rosefield Packing. He also supplied peanut butter for military rations during World War II.

More To Explore…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeanutButterDay

Make your favorite peanut butter recipes. Whether it’s a sandwich or a baked good, someone is sure to enjoy it with you. Be sure to share a photo or recipe using #NationalPeanutButterDay on social media.