Peanut Butter Fact

Americans eat 500 million pounds of peanut butter a year, enough to coat the floor, of the Grand Canyon.

Five Canadian Inventions

Here are a few things many do not know were invented in Canada.
Peanut Butter - Although American agricultural pioneer George Washington Carver is often credited for inventing peanut butter, the first patent for the spreadable substance was actually given to Montreal, Canada’s Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884.
IMAX - Canadian filmmakers Graeme Ferguson and Roman Kroitor first pioneered the technology of high-resolution images on huge screens at Montreal’s Expo ’67.
Hockey Mask - No surprise with this one. The hockey mask, which has helped keep many a goaltender’s face intact, was first worn regularly by Montreal Canadiens player Jaques Plante in 1959.
World Time Zones - Canadian railroad engineer Sandford Fleming came up with the idea of creating 24 time zones across the entire globe, which would form “international standard time.” In 1884 at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., his ideas were eventually adopted worldwide.

Trivial Pursuit - During 1979, Montreal Gazette picture editor Chris Haney and sports journalist Scott Abbott came up with Trivial Pursuit, which became the biggest phenomenon in game history, with over 100 million copies of the game sold.

Peanut Butter and Alzheimer's

Came across this interesting information about a test for Alzheimer's. The test involves a jar of peanut butter and a ruler, and is performed under each nostril. If the left nostril is significantly worse at detecting the smell of peanut butter-than the right one, then it may be a sign of Alzheimer's. The olfactory cortex (part of the brain that processes smell) is the first area of the brain to deteriorate in Alzheimer's.


Peanut butter is a smell that is not typically lost as people age.

Wordology, Arachibutyrophobia

It is the fear of getting peanut butter thuck to the roof of your mouth.

Seven More Peanut Butter Facts

Peanut butter more or less as we know it today was popularized at the 1893 World Fair. In the early 1900s, peanut butter made frequent appearances in tea rooms across the nation where it was billed as a dish for rich people. Back then, it was paired with items, such as cucumbers, cheese, celery, and crackers. At that point, peanut butter was still considered a “high end” food and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were not a commonly eaten food item.

Peanut butter spread to the masses during the 1920s and 1930s, shortly after pre-sliced bread came into existence. At that time commercial brands Skippy and Peter Pan began.

With the Great Depression, peanut butter on bread became a staple in many American households, because it provided a hearty, filling meal with a cheaper-than-meat substitute for protein.

During WWII the peanut butter and jelly sandwich became a popular meal among United States soldiers. When soldiers arrived home from the war, peanut butter and jelly sales skyrocketed.

The PB&J is a bigger hit in the United States than in most other countries.

The average American will eat around 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they turn 18.

Incidentally, peanuts are not nuts, they are legumes (a type of plant with seeds that grow inside pods like peas or beans). Nuts are grown on trees, peanuts grow underground. March is National Peanut Month.

Peanut Butter

According to the National Peanut Board, the average American eats about three pounds of peanut butter each year, totaling about 800 million pounds nation-wide. The good news is that peanut butter is more than just a tasty sidekick for jam and bread.

Nutritionally speaking, it is a great source of unsaturated fats and vegetarian protein. Over 80 percent of the fats found in peanut butter are unsaturated, 50 percent being monounsaturated fats that can help cut bad cholesterol (LDL). Also, peanuts contain important B vitamins, potassium and resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant known to have cancer fighting properties.

Six More Peanut Butter Facts

Peanut butter may have long-term health benefits. One recent study showed that girls between the ages of 9 and 15 who regularly ate peanut butter were 39 percent less likely to develop benign breast disease by age 30.

Peanut butter is loaded with potassium, which is shown to help counteract the effects of a high-sodium diet by relaxing the blood vessels. This is especially helpful when pairing peanut butter with bacon.

Animal trainers for movies and TV achieved a 'talking horse' effect by feeding them sticky peanut butter and letting them flap their jaws.

Thomas Jefferson did peanut farming before becoming president.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are considered the all-American school lunch food, but Canadians and the Dutch consume more peanut butter per capita than Americans do.

The peanuts in your peanut butter today are a different variety than the ones used 50 years ago. In the 1960s, peanut butter was made with a combination of Spanish peanuts and Virginia peanuts. Now the less expensive runner peanuts are used.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is such a staple of American childhood that it seems like it has been around forever. In fact, there are people alive today in America who grew up in a world when the PB&J sandwich was not well-known. The first known reference to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was in a 1901 cookbook.

The first reference of peanut butter dates back to about 1000 BC with the Ancient Incas. Records show both Africans and Chinese grinding peanuts into a paste early in the 15th century. Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec was the first person to patent peanut butter. He was issued with US patent #306727 in 1884. J.H. Kellogg of cereal fame, secured US patent #580787 in 1897 for his 'Process of Preparing Nutmeal', which produced a "pasty adhesive substance" that Kellogg called 'nut-butter.' George Washington Carver was born only a few years before Edson's patent was issued and he did develop a number of uses for the peanut, but he did not invent peanut butter.

US law dictates that any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanut. Eighty percent of the peanut butter sold in the U.S. is creamy, while seventeen percent is crunchy. The rest is mixed.

The jelly part of the sandwich could mean jelly, jam, or other fruit preserves. It has also been around for a long time, going all the way back to at least the first century, mentioned in 'Of Culinary Matters' by Marcus Gavius Apicius.

Mr. Welch developed Grapelade from Concord grapes in 1918, which proved to be extremely popular among the troops during World War I. When they got back from the war, they spread the practice of using it on bread. I just enjoyed a PB&J on a toasted English Muffin.

Canadian Inventions

Did you know the following were all invented in Canada: peanut butter, Wonderbra, Trivial Pursuit, the car odometer, Imax, egg cartons, McIntosh apples, discovery of insulin, sports instant replay, luggage bag tags, electric wheelchair, and more.

Five Peanut Butter Facts

Grand Saline, Texas, holds the record for the largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which weighed in at 1,342 pounds.

More than half of the American peanut crop is used to make peanut butter and the US is the world’s third-highest peanut-producing nation, after China and India.

It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.

Peanut butter sales were confined to regional markets until the development of hydrogenation in the 1920s. Hydrogenation stops the separation of peanut oil and solids by raising the melting point so that peanut butter is a solid at room temperature.

Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the top of your mouth.

Nutella Facts

Nutella is a great tasting spread. The chocolaty nut spread was thought of as a great substitute for peanut butter, but a recent study found out it is not much different.

One tablespoon of Nutella contains 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar. One tablespoon of peanut butter has 94 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.48 grams sugar. Generic cake frosting has 75 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 7.5 grams of sugar.

Banana Food Hack

Take two to four ripe bananas, peel them and let them sit in the freezer for an hour, then slice them up toss into a blender. You will get a smooth and tasty treat that is good for you. If you feel the need to punch up the taste, add two tablespoons of peanut butter or chocolate chips.

National Peanut Butter Day

Interesting that these two holidays would be on the same day this year. January 24, 2014 is National Peanut Butter Day.

Peanut butter is a staple in over 90% of US households and the average person consumes more than six pounds of peanut products each year. Women and children prefer creamy peanut butter, while most men go for the chunky variety.

George Bayle, a St. Louis snack food maker, started making peanut butter in the 1890s. For many years, manufacturers struggled with the oil separating from the grainy solids of the peanut butter. In 1923 Heinz became the first company to homogenize the peanuts into the spreadable butter we know and love today.

It takes 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter. It is the high protein content that causes peanut butter to stick to the roof of your mouth.

Benefits of Peanut Butter

According to the US National Peanut Board, the average American eats about three pounds of peanut butter each year. Peanut butter is a great source of unsaturated fats and vegetarian protein. Over 80 percent of the fats found in peanut butter are unsaturated, with 50 percent being monounsaturated fats that can help cut bad cholesterol (LDL).

Peanuts contain B vitamins, potassium, and resveratrol a powerful antioxidant known to have cancer fighting properties. Check the amount of carbohydrates on the nutrition label, because less fat sometimes comes with not-so-healthy trade-offs, such as added salt and sugar. Instead of that PB&J, spread some peanut butter on apple slices for a great taste and fiber boost.

Mice and Cheese Myth Debunked

Mice do not really like cheese and they will even actively shy away from certain types of cheese.

According to Dr. David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University who recently did a study on whether mice liked cheese or not, while hungry mice will pretty much eat anything (even cardboard), most types of mice strongly prefer grains, fruits, and sweet things. Certain types of mice will also eat insects and other small animals.

Basically, they like to eat what they have been accustomed to eating since before humans started making cheese around 10,000 years ago.

Many mice also like peanut butter and sweet chocolate. Interesting to know that mouse urine glows under florescent light.

PB&J Vodka

The fragrance is predominately of peanuts, but it is complimented by the fresh fruit aroma of the raspberry. On the tongue, the roles are reversed and the raspberry flavor is more focal, giving it a velvety texture with a hint of vanilla on the side. 

After I read about this I made and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Mmmm!

Bacon Peanut Butter Cups

 Delicious Milk Chocolate, Creamy All Natural Peanut Butter, Yummy Bacon are combined in these.

Giant peanut butter cups are filled with all natural peanut butter and yummy Applewood smoked bacon with no nitrates or nitrites and no preservatives. Each cup is 4" across and weighs 6 oz. They can be ordered on the web at LINK.

More Uses for Peanut Butter

A label that can be removed easily without leaving any glue behind has yet to be invented. Fortunately, we have peanut butter. Rub some of the tasty spread on the label glue and rub with a cloth.

To help eradicate the smell of fried fish, take a tablespoon of peanut butter after you have finished frying and drop it in the frying pan and fry it off for a minute or two. The smell of peanut butter is the house is much more enjoyable than stale fish and oil.

Peanut butter is a perfect gum remover. It can remove gum from kids hair and it will remove gum from carpet and any other object that is tainted with the chewy stuff. Rub some peanut butter into the gum and you can wipe the whole mess off with a cloth.

Baconator Dumpling

Just saw this on the web, peanut butter baconator dumpling. Put a gob of peanut butter and some cooked chopped bacon in a potato dumpling and deep fry. Am searching to see if the cook is a long lost relative.

Five More Uses for Peanut Butter

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will never go out of style, but here are a few more things to do with peanut butter.

Replace butter in cooking recipes with peanut butter for a unique taste, especially brownies. Yum.

Dogs and cats love it. Next time wrap their pill in a spoonful, so you don't have to force it down.

It works almost as well as goo-gone to get labels off of packages.

After frying fish, drop a plop of it in the pan and let it melt. Takes away the fishy smell.

Remove gum from carpet or hair by rubbing it with peanut butter and wipe the whole thing off.