Brief History of Peanut Butter

Where did peanut butter come from? Also referred to as peanut paste, peanut butter has been reinvented over many years. The original peanut butter was found in South America and used by the Incas as a form of paste. The earliest nominee for the invention of peanut butter was Rose Davis from New York. Her son had traveled to Cuba and saw the women grinding peanuts and smearing it on bread. Rose tried to use this practice in her own home. One interesting fact from peanut butter’s past was it was actually used as a vegetarian protein supplement for people with bad teeth. W.K. Kellogg patented one of the first process for making peanut butter but used steamed peanuts instead of roasted (pictured above).

When did peanut butter become what we know it as today? A man named Joseph L. Rosefield developed modern technology to keep the oil from separating. He was able to receive a patent for peanut butter with a shelf life of a year. He was apart of the Swift and Co. that sold “Peter Pan” peanut butter. In 1932 Rosefield left the company and formed his own. He began selling “Skippy” peanut butter. Today walking down the supermarket aisles the numerous amounts of brands of peanut butter can be overwhelming. The best selling peanut butter in the United States is “Jif” however I am a big fan of creamy “Skippy” peanut butter. I guess its personal preference.