The 5 People Responsible for Inventing Peanut Butter
There seems to be quite a discussion around peanut butter and who invented it. Invented or rather created. To be fair the confusion sets in because there are several people who surround peanut butter and it’s early presence within the United States. However, the credit goes to the original creators, the Ancient Incas, and Aztecs. They used to grind roasted peanuts into a paste for consumption long before anyone else.
From the Incas and Aztecs, peanut butter ventured into the heart of the United States and Canada where several people played highly influential roles in bringing peanut butter into the homes of most American families. Many people might argue that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. Carver was influential but it passed through the hands of a few other men before reaching Carver. Let’s take a look at who all these men were and how they catapulted peanut butter into fame.
Marcellus Gilmore Edson
After the Incas and Aztecs, the second nod to the creation of peanut butter goes to Marcellus Gilmore Edson. A Canadian Pharmacist who patented peanut paste in 1884. The way he created this paste was by milling roasted peanuts between two hot surfaces and the by-product was peanut paste. It was intended to be a source of energy and nutrients for people who had a hard time chewing solid food.
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg
The next person involved with the creation of peanut butter is Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. In 1895 Kellogg patented a process for making peanut butter by using raw peanuts. A few years later in 1898, he was granted a patent for a similar process of making peanut butter but this one used boiled or roasted nuts. Yes, this is the same Kellogg who is responsible for your breakfast cereal too. Kellogg promoted the product as a source of protein for people who are elderly or had no teeth. He loved experimenting with peanut-based foods including the first meat substitue which was made of peanuts and grains. He was granted the first US patent for a meat substitue which was named Protose.
Dr. Ambrose Straub
Lastly, Dr. Ambrose Straub patented a peanut butter-making machine in 1903. Holding a patent for a machine means that you have exclusive rights and ownership. It also means that others would need to buy the machine from Straub, create a different version of it, or attempt to purchase the patent from him.
George Washington Carver
Another honorable mention to peanut butter goes to George Washington Carver, a botanist and famous for creating over 300 inventions. He was highly influential in the farming industry and wrote a guide suggesting regular crop rotation. This led to better crops, enriched soil and a greater abundance of food. In response to this abundance, Carver decided to write books about how to use certain crops. One of those publications was called, “How to Grow the Peanut, and 105 Ways of Preparing It For Human Consumption”. Within this book was a recipe for peanut butter. It was originally published in 1916 and was so popular that it resulted in peanut crops going from 500,00 acres planted to 4 million acres planted.
Joseph Rosefield
In 1922 Joseph Rosefield invented a way to make peanut butter smoother and more enjoyable by adding partially hydrogenated oils to it. Rosefield was a chemist and sold the license of this process to the Peter Pan peanut butter company. A few years later in 1932, Rosefield took a more improved version of this process and started the company, Skippy. Additionally, Skippy went on to produce the first crunchy peanut butter not too long after.
Peanut Butter Today
Of all the peanuts grown within the USA, half is used for making peanut butter which generates over $850 million in sales annually. Americans eat more peanut butter than any other country in the world. More peanut butter facts HERE. It’s seemingly in just about every food ranging from beer and spirits to granola bars and cakes.
Some of the first companies to sell peanut butter, Peter Pan and Skippy, are still thriving today. The peanut butter market is saturated with every variety you can think of by huge corporations and small artisanal companies alike. There is plenty of space for every single jar and every person who has something to add.
