Peanut butter

Peanut butter is a food paste made of ground dry-roasted peanuts and several other ingredients, such as salt. It is a popular sandwich spread, and it is often used as an ingredient or flavoring agent in baked goods, candies, and savory dishes.

Peanuts—which are legumes rather than nuts—are nutrient-dense, containing protein, beneficial fats, vitamins, and minerals. Many vegetarians and vegans rely on peanut butter as a source of protein, and the spread is particularly popular with children. It is the leading use of peanuts in the United States, where annual consumption of the spread is 3 pounds per person, or about 700 million pounds. The United States is the world's leading consumer of peanut butter. It is also commonly eaten in Canada, Haiti, and the Netherlands.

Brief History

Peanut plants probably originated in South America, most likely in Brazil or Peru. Pottery dating back 3,500 years features images of the legumes, and Incans in Peru buried their dead with peanuts as early as 1500 BCE. Tribes in Brazil made a drink containing ground peanuts and maize. Spanish explorers who arrived in North America during the sixteenth century found peanuts growing as far north as modern-day Mexico. They took peanuts back to Spain, and the plants eventually spread into Asia and Africa. Peanuts finally arrived in what became the United States during the eighteenth century. Early in the nineteenth century, American growers established peanuts as a commercial crop in Virginia. They were grown as a source of oil and food and used as a substitute for cocoa. Peanuts were regarded as a food for the poor and for livestock. They became popular during the American Civil War (1861–1865), when soldiers on both sides of the conflict subsisted on the legumes. Union soldiers introduced peanuts to northern states when they returned home. After the war, circus vendors began selling freshly roasted peanuts, and peanut carts later appeared on streets and at baseball games.

Agricultural production prior to the twentieth century was labor-intensive, so supply was limited. New agricultural equipment developed around 1900 made planting, growing, and harvesting peanuts more efficient. The improved quality and availability of the crop boosted demand for peanut oil, roasted nuts, and peanut butter. Peanut production increased again soon after, when cotton crops in the South were devastated by an infestation of the boll weevil. Scientist George Washington Carver promoted peanuts as an alternate crop and even published a list called "300 Uses for Peanuts." Many farmers replaced failed cotton crops with acres of peanut plants, and it became a major crop in southern states by the 1940s.

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the creator of modern breakfast cereals, patented a peanut butter manufacturing process in 1895. A doctor in St. Louis, Missouri, developed a similar product to help his patients who could not chew well. Peanut butter debuted to the public in 1893 at the Chicago World's Fair, and it was heavily promoted at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Its popularity grew quickly. American service members dined on peanut butter during World Wars I and II (1914–1918; 1939–1945) when the spread was included in their rations, and many still clamored for peanut butter when they returned to civilian life. The nutrient-rich spread also helped many families during the difficult years of the Great Depression (1929–1939).

Peanut butter was primarily a local product when it was introduced. It was produced for local consumption because the oil in the mixture separated. It did not have a long shelf life for this reason. Hydrogenation, which was developed during the 1920s, helped put peanut butter into households around the country and around the world. This process prevents the oils and solids from separating by increasing the melting point of the peanut butter so it remains solid at room temperature. By 1942, hydrogenated peanut butter was the most popular variety sold and remained so into the twenty-first century.

Peanut butter is best known as a sandwich spread. The first record of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared in 1901 in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. Julia Davis Chandler, author of the piece, recommended crab apple or currant jelly. In modern times, strawberry and grape jellies are the most popular accompaniments in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Overview

While ground peanuts are the primary ingredient of peanut butter, and may be the only ingredient, the paste may contain other additions. The US Food and Drug Administration requires that peanut butter contain at least 90 percent peanuts by weight. Many manufacturers add seasonings—usually salt and sugar—and oil. Oil helps stabilize the mixture by preventing the natural peanut oil from separating and rising to the top. Oil also increases the shelf life of peanut butter and makes the spread smoother. Manufacturers may add a variety of oils to peanut butter. Fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, which contains saturated fat, is a common additive.

A serving of peanut butter (containing 98 percent peanuts and some sugar, salt, and fully hydrogenated vegetable oils) is two tablespoons (32 g). It contains 8 grams of plant protein and 190 calories. It provides 16 grams of fat, or 25 percent of the recommended daily needs, of which 2.5 grams are saturated fat. A serving provides 7 grams of protein and 2 grams of dietary fiber in addition to 20 percent of the daily value (DV) of niacin, 10 percent DV of vitamin E, 4 percent DV of iron, and 2 percent DV of riboflavin. The dietary fiber and protein provide a feeling of fullness, which may help individuals trying to lose weight. Some studies have found health benefits of eating peanut butter, such as a reduced risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. Nutritionists recommend choosing peanut butter with a low sodium count.

Peanut butter is commonly used as a source of nutrition for severely malnourished children around the world. It is a primary ingredient in a paste called ready-to-eat therapeutic food (RUTF) that is distributed by aid agencies, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). According to UNICEF USA, about sixteen million children are endangered by severe acute malnutrition (SAM) annually, while one million children die each year from malnutrition. RUTF pastes contain ground peanuts (or chickpeas or other locally produced energy sources), sugar, oil, and milk powder. Packets of the paste are provided for children ages six to twenty-four months who have been diagnosed with SAM. Each packet contains 3.5 ounces (100 g) of ready-to-eat nutritious food.

Bibliography

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