NATIONAL PEANUT DAY

On September 13th National Peanut Day pays homage to mighty and tasty peanut.

Likely originating in South America around 3,500 years ago, this legume is not a nut. They grow underground, like potatoes. Since they are an edible seed that forms in a pod, they belong to the family Leguminosae with peas and beans. When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanuts provide a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to The Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut! Nuts grow on trees.

The peanut is also high in antioxidants. Not only are peanuts high in vitamins E and B6, but they’re rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc. Studies also show when paired with other nutrient-rich foods, this wonderful legume helps us absorb nutrients better, too.

For the longest time, livestock gained the most significant benefit from all these nutrients. Until modern methods came along, planting and harvesting peanuts were labor-intensive and risky endeavors for farmers. Gradually their popularity grew. Civil War soldiers found a fondness for them, and so did fans of PT Barnum’s traveling circus. But what made it possible for peanuts to be grown in abundance was an advancement in farm technology. Just like the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry, planters and harvesters transformed not only the peanut farm but farming the world over.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack ~ lyric from Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.

Dr. George Washington Carver

With the rise in peanut production, there also brought an increase of curious investigation into its possible uses. When the boll weevil wreaked havoc on the South’s cotton crop, Dr. George Washington Carver, made a suggestion. He had been researching this amazing groundnut and suggested farmers diversify into peanuts. It was an economic boon to Southern farmers.  He published his research “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption” in 1916. His continued research resulted in more than delicious uses for this goober, groundnut or ground pea. From shaving cream to plastics and cosmetics and even coffee, Dr. Carver’s appetite for the peanut seemed to be unending.

Many of the peanut discoveries Dr. Carver made 100 years ago are still being used today.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeanutDay

Explore the world of the peanut and crack open some for a healthful snack. Use #NationalPeanutDay to post on social media.

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 Month

March celebrates one of America’s favorite snack foods…Peanuts! National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941, but later morphed into a month-long celebration in 1974. And why not celebrate this versatile food? Whether it’s the smell of their roasted goodness, the grinding of their essence into peanut butter or just being used to make healthier cooking oil, peanuts have found their way into many of the food items we consume regularly.

Boiled, roasted, honey roasted, in a stir fry or as a honey roasted snack with a Pepsi, it clear that these small treasures pack a lot of flavor. Try something new and don’t forget other days to explore the flavors.

Peanut cultivation and popularity in American food culture can be attributed to Dr. George Washington Carver, nicknamed “The Father of the Peanut” for his tireless devotion to this versatile legume. In fact, in 1925, Carver published a bulletin called, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.”

When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanuts provide a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to The Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut! Nuts grow on trees. The peanut is also high in antioxidants. This goober (as they’re called in the south), is also high in vitamins E and B6, but they’re rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc. Studies also show when paired with other nutrient-rich foods, this wonderful legume helps us absorb nutrients better, too.

Peanuts are a very valuable source of protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols, more than any nut. They also contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and rumor has it that there’s enough mental stimulation in one peanut to give a person 30 minutes of serious thinking! Need a brain recharge, eat a peanut.

Even if that’s not the case, peanuts provide a serious source of protein and B vitamins to help prevent “brain fatigue”! So keep a bag nearby for that extra boost now and then. Enjoy!

Explore more….

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeanutMonth


Savor the taste of delicious peanuts all month long. These tasty nuts add a punch of flavor to almost any dish. Eat them whole or spread peanut butter on a sandwich. Bake up a delicious treat using peanuts. You can also learn more about the history of peanuts, George Washington Carver, or how they have been cultivated over the years. However you celebrate, be sure to use #NationalPeanutMonth 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.

NATIONAL SCRAPPLE DAY

National Scrapple Day on November 9th recognizes the first pork food invented in America. For those not familiar with scrapple, it is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal, wheat flour, and spices, such as sage, thyme, savory and black pepper. The mush is then formed into a semi-solid loaf, sliced and pan-fried.

Scrapple is also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name pon haus, and the immediate ancestor of scrapple was the Low German dish called panhas. Local settlers adapted the dish to make use of locally available ingredients. In parts of Pennsylvania, it is still called Pannhaas, panhossponhoss, or pannhas.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, German colonists who settled near Philadelphia and Chester County, Pennsylvania, developed the first recipes for scrapple. With such a rich heritage, many strongly associate scrapple with rural areas surrounding Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, eastern Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula.

  • Supermarkets offer scrapple throughout the regions in both refrigerated and frozen cases.
  • Did you know some recipes for scrapple include beef, chicken, or turkey?
  • Instead of pan-frying scrapple, try deep-frying or broiling it for a different texture.
  • Scrapple makes an excellent breakfast sidedish.
  • Try your scrapple with a side of apple butter, ketchup, jelly, maple syrup, honey, horseradish, or mustard.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalScrappleDay

Introduce a friend to this regional favorite. Take them out to your favorite restaurant serving scrapple. While you’re there, give the cook a shout out! Another way to celebrate is by sharing your best scrapple recipes or trying your hand at some of these tasty eats. And don’t forget to use #NationalScrappleDay to share your celebration on social media, too!


All Recipes Scrapple

Scrapple

Chicken Scrapple

While the creator of this food holiday is as of yet unknown, my bet would be someone who grew up with Scrapple in Delaware or Pennsylvania.