On September 13 National Peanut Day pays homage to mighty and tasty peanut.
- Likely originating in South America around 3,500 years ago, this legume is not a nut. They grow underground, like potatoes. Since they are an edible seed that forms in a pod, they belong to the family Leguminosae with peas and beans.
- When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanuts provide a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to The Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut! Nuts grow on trees.
- The peanut is also high in antioxidants. Not only are peanuts high in vitamins E and B6, but they’re rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc.
- Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack ~ lyric from Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.
- George Washington Carver began his research into peanuts in 1903 at Tuskeegee Institute. Research that would lead him to discover improvements in horticulture and the development of more than 300 uses for peanuts (which, contrary to popular belief, did not include peanut butter, but did include salted peanuts).
- It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
- There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
- By law, any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.
- Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 of the “new treat” at his concession stand.
- In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec was the first person to patent peanut butter.
- There are four types of peanuts grown in the USA — Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia.
- The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.
- Peanuts contribute more than $4 billion to the USA economy each year.
- Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the USA – Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
- Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
- Tom Miller pushed a peanut to the top of Pike’s Peak (14,100 feet) using his nose in 4 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes and 3 seconds.
- As early as 1500 B.C., the Incans of Peru used peanuts as sacrificial offerings and entombed them with their mummies to aid in the spirit life.
- Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
- There are six cities in the U.S. named Peanut: Peanut, California; Lower Peanut, Pennsylvania; Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Pennsylvania, Peanut, Tennessee; and Peanut West Virginia.
- Peanut shells can be used to make kitty litter, fire kindling, logs, packing material, or compost.
- Planters mascot, Mr. Peanut, is over 100 years old. In 1999 he was given a peanut-shaped vehicle called the NutMobile.
- The phrase “peanut gallery” comes from the 1800’s when people sitting in the audience upper levels of stage productions would throw peanuts at performers if they didn’t like what they were seeing.
- Half of the top ten best selling candy bars in the US contain peanuts.
- “Boiled peanuts” are considered a delicacy in the peanut-growing areas of the South.
- What makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich? 56% say smooth peanut butter, 36% say strawberry jam and 31% say grape jam.
- Half of the top ten selling candy bars in the US contain peanut or peanut butter.
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