peanut butter

Peanut butter is a food made of roasted and ground peanuts, usually salted and sweetened. It is commonly sold in grocery stores, but can be made at home. It is sometimes referred to by its abbreviation, "P.B.". Many styles are available; the most popular are creamy (smooth) and crunchy (with small chunks of peanuts), but honey-roasted, whole-nut varieties, varieties mixed with chocolate, and other variations can also be found. Creamy peanut butter is made by grinding all of the mixture very finely. The crunchier styles are either more coarsely ground or have larger pieces of peanut added back into the mixture after grinding.

Used in sandwiches (particularly the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich), candy (Reese's, for example), cookies and pastry, it is a vegetarian source of protein, and it is popular with children.

Peanut butter is popular mainly in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and The Netherlands, but is overshadowed by hazelnut butter in other parts of Europe. In Germany, for example, and in Italy, peanut butter is not popular at all and it is also very hard to find in local shops and supermarkets. It also has above-average popularity in the Philippines, parts of the Middle East, South Korea and other areas where Americans have maintained a strong presence in recent decades. It is manufactured in China, India and other emerging markets.

For people with peanut allergy, peanut butter can cause reactions up to and including fatal anaphylactic shock which has caused it to be banned on some school premises.

The peanut plant is susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces aflatoxin, and contamination in peanut butter is possible.

History

The first peanut butter was the ground paste that the ancient Pre-Columbian Mayan and Aztec civilizations of Mexico used as the base for a number of their "moles" (Pronounced MOL-ehs, IPA: /ˈmo.lez/, from Nahuatl molli, meaning sauce).

In 1890, George A. Bayle Jr., began to sell ground peanut paste as a Vegetarian protein supplement for people with bad or no teeth. In 1893, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg originated an early variety of peanut butter at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. Kellogg, along with his brother, W.K. Kellogg, patented a process for making peanut butter in 1895, but it used steamed peanuts rather than roasted peanuts. Contrary to popular belief, the renowned botanist, George Washington Carver, had no hand in inventing this food.^[1]

Peanut butter was made in Australia by Edward Halsey for Sanitarium Health Food Company on May 29, 1899 and was sold as early as June 16.^[2] Peanut butter was widely introduced in 1904 by C.H. Sumner at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (Saint Louis World's Fair) which also popularized the ice cream cone, hot dog and hamburger.

Founded by Benton Black, Krema Products Company in Columbus, Ohio began selling peanut butter in 1908 and is the oldest peanut butter company still in operation today.

In 1922, Joseph L. Rosefield developed modern peanut butter by using finer grinding, hydrogenation, and an emulsifier to keep the oil from separating. This created a creamy texture unlike the earlier peanut butter described as gritty, or pasty. He received a patent for stable peanut butter which had a shelf life of up to a year.

Swift & Company adopted the technology for their E.K Pond peanut butter which they had introduced somewhat earlier in 1920. In 1928 they changed the name to "Peter Pan". Peter Pan was originally packaged in a tin can with a turn key and re-closable lid but switched to glass during World War II. In 1932, Rosefield left that company. He formed the Rosefield Packing Co. and began selling "Skippy" peanut butter in 1933.

Peanut butter became a very profitable business in the United States. Currently, the best-selling American brand is Jif, a product introduced by Procter & Gamble in 1958. Jif is now made by the J.M Smucker Company. The oldest surviving U.S. brand is Krema peanut butter, first sold in 1908. Australian health food company Sanitarium Health Food Company, has been making commercial peanut butter since 1898.^[2] Sanitarium still makes peanut butter today.

There also exist other nut butters, made from almond, cashew, and hazelnut.

Modern peanut butter production

Nearly half of the U.S. peanut production went to peanut butter factories in 2001. This makes the U.S. the world's largest peanut butter supplier and consumer. Peanuts grown in other countries are usually harvested for cooking oil called peanut oil.

There are many types of peanuts. Small-seed peanuts are rich in oil and usually grown for peanut butter and oil. In the U.S., Runner Types and Spanish Types are two families of peanuts grown in Southern States including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The first three states produce 60% of the peanuts that are used in peanut butter.

After harvest, peanuts are sent to factories for inspection. The inspected peanuts are roasted in ovens. After roasting, they are rapidly cooled by air to stop cooking. This helps to retain its color and oil contents.

The cooked peanuts are then rubbed between rubber belts to remove the outer skin. The kernels are split with the hearts removed and then cleaned and sorted. Next, the peanuts are sent to the grinder.

The peanuts are ground twice: pulverized to small bits first, then ground with salt, sweetener and usually a stabilizer to keep the oil from separating. So-called "old-fashioned" or "natural" peanut butter typically does not contain a stabilizer. The oils will separate after a time; these varieties are frequently stored in the refrigerator, which prevents the oil from separating back out. Skippy recently introduced a "natural" peanut butter which does not require any stirring. It does, however, contain palm oil as a stabilizer.

In the United States, peanut butter must contain a minimum of 90% peanuts, according to US food laws. Artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and preservatives are not allowed. (This is why some peanut butter manufacturers' low-calorie or low-fat products instead call themselves peanut spread.) Some brands may add salt and sugar (indicated by dextrose, sucrose or fructose on the label) to suit the taste of the average consumer (or even molasses, as Jif does), while other brands offer peanut butter without such additives for those who prefer the unadulterated peanut taste.

Trans fat issues

Certain brands of peanut butter may contain a small amount (well under 1%) of hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are rich in trans fatty acids. Such acids are thought to be a cause of atherosclerosis leading to such maladies as coronary heart disease and stroke. However, natural peanut butter (as well as other natural food) does not contain such oils.

Trivia

• The Dutch peanut butter is very different from its international counterpart. It is sharp instead of sweet and most people say it has a similar taste to that of Satay sauce. This peanut butter is called "pindakaas", literally translated as "peanut cheese". The Dutch called their peanut butter this way because the word "butter" was protected by law, so they had to look for another name.
• On May 15, 1963, U.S. astronaut Gordon Cooper ate some bite-sized peanut butter sandwiches in the last and longest Mercury mission. He carried 2,369 kcal (9,919 kJ) of food at launch and consumed only 696 kcal (2,914 kJ). He did not like the cubed food. His flight lasted 34 hours, 19 minutes and 49 seconds.
• In 2002, an intentionally irreverent pseudo-scientific paper was published [2] establishing that "Peanut Butter has no effect on the rotation of the Earth". (See also Ig Nobel Prize)
• The Fluffernutter is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme, preferably the Fluff brand.
• One of the favorite foods of Elvis Presley was a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.
• An outdoor bird feeder is often made from a pine cone smeared with peanut butter and covered with birdseed.
• Creamy peanut butter is often used to remove chewing gum from clothing and hair.
• March 1991, Skippy Peanut Butter introduced the "peanut on top", which has been copied by many companies later on. Frank Duyvelshoff of Product Research was given credit.
• The hydrogenated oil in most peanut butter brands is not usually made from peanut oil but from cheaper vegetables oils such as soybean, canola and cottonseed.
• In the U.S., March 1 is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day and March is National Peanut Month.
• In 2004, University of Georgia scientists developed a peanut butter dispenser to make peanut butter sandwiches. It looks like a hand-held, bulk tape dispenser and squirts out peanut butter in sheets.[3]
• Some peanut butter brands have been sold in decorative glass containers that could be used as drinking glasses. Boscul Peanut Butter glasses from the 1950's are sought after by collectors.[4]
• On the UK show Brainiac, peanut butter was found to be a better emergency shaving cream than whipped cream and other alternatives.

Reference peanut butters

As of September 2004, the most expensive peanut butter on the market is a $545 limited item which can be mail-ordered from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. [5] This peanut butter (SRM 2387) is a set of three 6 oz (170 g) jars which will expire on December 31, 2009.

This piece of reference material has been analyzed with state-of-the-art measurement methods to provide values for the amount of fatty acids, 18 individual amino acids (protein), vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, other nutrients and mold-produced carcinogenic aflatoxins. Food manufacturers can use it to validate production and quality control procedures as well as ensure accurate labeling of product content. It can also be used to evaluate allergen test kits.

References

1. ^ Mackintosh, Barry. 1977. George Washington Carver and the Peanut: New Light on a Much-loved Myth. American Heritage 28(5): 66-73. [1]
2. ^ ^a b Parr, Robert, Glynn Litster. "What Hath God Wrought!". Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, Victoria: Sanitarium Health Food Company.

See also

• Peanut
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Peanut butter cup
• Nutella

External links

• The federal "Peanut Butter Law" in the U.S.
• History of Peanut Butter at PeanutButterLovers.com
• The USDA's Commercial Item Description for peanut butter and peanut spread
• A Website Devoted to Smearing Peanut Butter on Objects
• Peanut Butter Expert Lens

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peanut_butter&action=edit