How Peanut Butter Is Made
BY
Andrew Cenci
How Peanut Butter Is Made
Industry How To’s
A
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staple in every american
home, peanut butter is the
choice sandwich spread that
is enjoyed by people of all
ages. Every one has a preference, when
it comes to brand and the consistency
of their peanut butter, but no matter
your preference all peanut butter shares
a common bond. The peanut, how do
these tiny nuts that grow in the ground
get made into one of our favorite snacks?
This resource will explore the history of
peanut butter, and also take a look at the
process of how it is made.
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History
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The history of peanut butter is often traced to one person, George
Washington Carver, who has been credited with the invention of peanut
butter. Though he did in fact come up with hundreds of uses for peanuts, as
well as other items such as sweet potatoes and soybeans, peanut butter can
actually be traced back further. The Aztec people of Mexico had for some
time been creating a paste out of mashed roasted peanuts. This differed
greatly from what we purchase in our stores today, the invention of which
came much later. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (of Kellogg cereal) created a
peanut butter product for people without teeth as a protein substitute. But
in 1922 a man named, Joseph Rosefield created the modern process for
creating peanut butter, by adding oil to keep the peanut butter oils from
separating in the jar and in 1932 he started Skippy. Today in the US over 50%
of peanuts harvested are used in the creation of peanut butter, which gives
this agricultural industry close ties to the industrial mixing industry.
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The Process
This process of course begins with the main ingredient, peanuts, which are
actually not nuts at all. Peanuts are in fact legumes, part of the bean family
and are grown underground unlike other nuts. Peanuts are a nutrient rich
food that gives us protein, vitamin B, and Iron (others as well), and its great
nutritional value makes for a delicious snack. The seeds for the peanuts get
put into the ground in the spring, April or May, and like previously stated
the peanuts are formed under ground, and a green plant with yellow flowers
grows above the surface. Mechanical pickers are used to pick the peanuts and
remove them from their vines, where they are then sorted by size and stored.
After being cleaned, shelled and graded for size, the manufacturer can then
begin the process of roasting.
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The peanuts will have an initial dry
roasting which can happen in two different ways, the first is a batch method
where all the peanuts are put into a giant
revolving oven and cooked at close to
800 degrees until all the nuts are uniformly roasted. The second method is
the continuous method which is used
by larger manufactures, the peanuts are
roasted in a container that then pours
them into a grinder and then on into
jars. After the peanuts have been cooled
and blanched they are then ready to be
ground and turned into peanut butter.
The peanuts and salt are fed into adjustable mills that can adjust for the type of
peanut butter being made. There are two
steps, first they are ground to a medium
grind and then down to a smooth texture
that we know and love.
The peanut butter is then placed
into a jacketed tank that has cool water
running though it to keep it’s contents
cool. In order to create chunky peanut
butter, peanut pieces are added to the
smooth peanut butter or a special type
of grinder is used. The peanut butter is
then placed into another stainless steel
tank where it is then mixed for a period
of time to make sure it has a uniform
mixture, and from there it is packaged
and sent to stores.
A 12-ounce jar of peanut butter
consists of about 540 peanuts and americans eat hundreds of millions of pounds
of peanut butter a year. The process of
peanut butter is an ancient practice but a
major part of the american diet.