Who Invented Peanut Butter?

Peanut butter has been invented and reinvented in so many ways throughout the years. Here are some accounts and theories on the invention of peanut butter based on historians.

The Spread of Peanut Butter

History suggests that the ancient Incas laid the foundation for the peanut butter we know today. They would grind peanuts until they reached a paste-like consistency.

In the 15th century, Africans were already doing the same process. The peanut crop had reached the African continent through trading. This eventually made the peanut a staple in African diets.

The Chinese also ground their peanuts to create different sauces for cooking. Even the Indians ground peanuts. However, instead of making a paste, they would produce dry peanut powder. When the Spanish and British discovered peanuts, the crop then became widespread in other areas of the world. Virginia and North Carolina started to cultivate peanuts as cash crops.

Any one of these early people may be partially responsible for the invention of this still-beloved snack.

The Discovery of the Peanut

The peanut was first discovered in 950BC. Through the travels of its discoverers, the crop reached Spain and Africa. The very first peanut commercial crop was cultivated in North Carolina in 1818 followed by a crop in Virginia in 1840.

Rose Davis and Peanut Butter

Some say that in 1840, Rose Davis from New York invented peanut butter. Ross, her son, apparently traveled to Cuba where he saw a little girl grind peanuts into a paste and then spread the mixture onto a slice of bread. Ross told his mom about it when he returned home. Rose then became inspired to recreate what her son had witnessed and so developed an early method of producing peanut butter.

Doctor's Invention of Peanut Butter

Another story suggests that the invention of peanut butter took place in 1890. This story states that a physician from St. Louis was taking care of his elderly patients. He yearned for a type of food that was healthy and nutritious –something rich in protein but easily eaten and digested by his patients. He then began to grind peanuts and soon found a solution to the problem.

George Washington Carver and Peanut Butter

Some believe that it was George Washington Carver that invented peanut butter. Carver was known to be an expert on peanuts and discovered 300 uses of the crop. Carver's uses of peanuts and peanut-based products extended to cosmetics, plastics, dyes, and of course recipes for dishes. There is, however, no clear evidence that he invented peanut butter but he did create a recipe or formula for it.

Commercial Production of Peanut Butter

George A. Bayle was one of the first people to commercially produce and officially market peanut butter.

On the other hand, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is responsible for discovering and having patented a "Process of Preparing Nut Meal" in 1895. He used peanuts and served peanut butter to the patients at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. Joseph Lambert who worked for Dr. Kellogg eventually started to sell his very own handheld peanut butter grinder in 1896.

By 1914, many manufacturing companies were already producing peanut butter.

Joseph L. Rosenfield however, is credited with inventing a churning process that would help create a smoother peanut butter texture. In 1928, Rosenfield then licensed his clever invention to the Pond Company which is the maker of the popular Peter Pan peanut butter brand. A few years later, Rosenfield put up his own label of peanut butter called Skippy. Skippy sold peanut butter in creamy and crunchy style varieties.

Thus, the peanut butter empires were born.