Peanut Butter Day

Peanut Butter Day is January 24th

National Peanut Butter Day is a day to celebrate peanut butter and all its glory. This national holiday is celebrated annually on January 24. It’s no surprise that almost 95% of Americans have a jar of peanut butter in their home. We have been raised on peanut butter sandwiches for generations. Peanut butter is as American as it gets, with many foreigners not understanding our obsession with it. We put it in everything from sandwiches, candy, cookies, ice cream, and smoothies. There’s no limit to the combinations you can come up with and in fact many often enjoy eating it right out of the jar with a spoon. 

More about Peanuts

You’ll be surprised to know that peanuts aren’t actually a nut. They are in fact a legume, which means they are packed with nutrients, proteins, and fiber. Peanut butter origins date back to the times of the Aztecs, who would grind up peanuts to form a paste. Then in 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented the peanut paste in Canada. Not long after, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented the creation of peanut butter from peanuts in 1895. A machine was then created to make the peanut butter, which was patented in 1903 by Ambrose Straub. Even with all of those inventions, it wasn’t until 1922 when a chemist by the name of Joseph Rosefield discovered a way to keep the peanut butter from separating from the oil that we got the peanut butter that we know and love today. He sold this invention to the company that created Peter Pan Peanut butter and later he went on to invent his own company, Skippy. 

Fun facts:

• Peanuts aren’t a nut - they are actually a legume
• Another name for peanut is goober
• The first peanut butter was sold in St. Louis
• Americans spend about $800 million a year on peanut butter
• U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were peanut farmers

Fun Ways to Celebrate

• Host a bake off - have everyone make their favorite treats containing peanut butter and see who did it better
• Indulge in your favorite peanut butter treats
• Include your dog who loves peanut butter - let them celebrate too!
• Make your favorite peanut butter sandwich - either with jelly, nutella, or honey! 
• Keep it healthy and pair it with fruits or vegetables - apples, bananas, or celery

Peanut butter is an American favorite. Families have been sharing this treat for generations, making delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that we have all grown to love. 

Quotes

“There is nothing peanut butter and a spoon can’t fix” 
“A day without peanut butter is like….  Just kidding I have no idea”
“You are the peanut butter to my jelly”

Social Media Prompts

• Go Nuts today and make your favorite treat to celebrate National Peanut Butter Day
• Feeling a little nutty? It might be because it’s National Peanut Butter Day
• Not sure what to make for National Peanut Butter Day? Go nuts and make it all!
• Surprise your little ones today with goober sandwiches to celebrate National Peanut Butter Day
• We’re all a little nuts on National Peanut Butter Day