According to statistics, peanut butter is a staple in over 90 percent of American households. The average person eats more than six pounds of peanut products each year. Women and children prefer creamy peanut butter, while most men go for the chunky variety.
A doctor in St. Louis created peanut butter in 1890 as a remedy for bad teeth. It became very popular with the doctor's patients, but the oil often separated from the grainy solids. In 1933, a California packer was able to homogenize the peanuts into a spreadable butter.
Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts. Peanut butter is mainly used as a sandwich spread, sometimes in combination with other spreads such as in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The United States and China are leading exporters of peanut butter.
Peanut butter is included as an ingredient in many recipes, especially cookies and candies. Peanut butter goes well with other foods such as chocolate, oatmeal, cheese, cured meats, savory sauces, and various types of breads and crackers.
Peanut butter is often combined in a sandwich with jelly. However, jelly is not the only ingredient that people combine with peanut butter. Some people combine peanut butter with pickles, mayonnaise, olives, onion, horseradish, bacon, Marmite, or Vegemite in a sandwich. Elvis is said to have liked sandwiches made with peanut butter, banana and bacon while Hemingway is said to have liked thick onion slices in a peanut butter sandwich.
Tidbits about peanut butter
- It takes 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter.
- Peanuts are cholesterol free and an excellent source of protein.
- The high protein content in peanut butter is what causes peanut butter to stick to the roof of your mouth.
Unusual uses for peanut butter
By placing a medium amount of peanut butter inside the opening of a hollow sturdy chew toy, it is easy to create a toy that will keep a dog occupied for as long as an hour. Most dogs enjoy the challenge of reaching the peanut butter with their tongue and extracting it.
A common, simple outdoor bird feeder can be made by coating a pine cone once with peanut butter, then again with birdseed.
The oils found in peanut butter are known to allow chewing gum to be removed from hair.
Just by eating a tablespoon full of peanut butter is known to help lower high blood sugar in diabetic patients.
To celebrate National Peanut Butter Day, eat some peanut butter or use it in other ways.
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