Peanut butter seems to be getting a bad rap these days due to increased awareness of peanut allergies. However, it is important to understand that for someone without a peanut allergy, peanuts actually provide great nutritional value, and peanut butter is a fun and delicious way to benefit from the value of peanuts.
Peanuts provide fifteen percent of your daily needed protein in just one serving. Being so small, peanuts have a huge punch when it comes to protein which is needed for energy and growth. Those that work out really appreciate the power of protein in their daily diet. In addition to being a great source of protein, one ounce of raw peanuts contains 2.4 grams of dietary fiber, which is also high in the list of peanut benefits.
There are actually four different types of peanuts grown in the United States, which most people do not realize. They are Runner, Virginia, Spanish, and Valencia. Peanuts are actually used for many peanut products aside from peanut butter than many may not be aware of. For example, you can use peanuts to make flour. Peanut flour contains as much as fifty percent protein and is both vegan and gluten-free.
Talking specifically about peanut butter, In the United States, there is roughly 700 million pounds of peanut butter consumed each year. Regulated by law, in order for something to be called peanut butter, it has to consist of at least ninety percent peanuts. Peanut butter benefits are significant because of the high percentage of peanuts it is packed with fiber and protein.
Now, who are likely reading this article because you are wondering who invented peanut butter, which is actually a really interesting question. George Washington Carver is often attributed with the invention of peanut butter, but he did not actually invent it. He came up with over three hundred uses for it, but peanut putter was shockingly not on the list.
The use of peanut butter can be traced back to the Aztecs, who used a sort of paste made from crushed peanuts. However, they are not attributed with the invention of it because what they used was not exactly comparable to the peanut butter of today.
Modern day peanut butter, the process of how it is manufactured and the machinery used to produce it is attributed to four different people. The first is Marcellus Gilmore Edson, who patented peanut paste, which was the finished product when milling peanuts between two heated surfaces. Edson was from Canada, and he got the patent for peanut paste in 1884.
The second man attributed with who invented peanut butter was Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. He was also the founder of Kellogg cereal. Dr. Kellogg patented the process for making peanut butter from raw peanuts. He originally marketed the final product as a highly healthy and delicious source of protein for people with no teeth. This was in 1895, so when people lost their teeth, they were unable to consume meat, which was the primary source of protein.
In 1903, Dr. Ambrose made the process of making peanut butter significantly easier by inventing a peanut butter making machine, which automated the process. While this was a significant step, the invention of modern-day peanut butter continued to evolve.
In 1922, a chemist by the name of Joseph Rosefield invented a process that allowed for the making of smooth peanut butter that kept the oil from separating. Prior to this, peanut butter had to be stirred before each use, because all the oil from the peanuts would separate and rise to the top leaving the thick paste at the bottom.
Rosefield licensed his technology to a company that then used it to create Peter Pan peanut butter. However, less than ten years later in 1932, he also began producing peanut butter using his technology and sold it under the name Skippy.
So if someone asked you who invented peanut butter, you can tell them it was Marcellus Gilmore Edson, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, Dr Ambrose Straub, and Joseph Rosefield. When asked who invented peanut butter, you’ll know to correct anyone that says George Washington Carver.