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Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Tantalizing Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

Sept 13, 2006

National Peanut Day

When: September 13th

National Peanut Day is the peanuttiest of days. Native to South America, the locals there couldn't keep this great nut to themselves. Actually, peanuts are not nuts. They are "legumes", like peas, beans, and lentils.

Peanuts are one of America's favorite snack foods. And, its more than a snack food. Peanuts are the main ingredient in peanut butter. Peanuts star in a variety of recipes, and are a topping for countless foods and desserts. Many Chinese recipes use peanuts in main menu items.   

Peanuts once took the rap as a not so healthy food. More recent research suggests that peanuts can reduce cardiovascular disease and lowers triglycerides in the body. Peanuts are high in protein and fiber, and are now believed to help curb hunger, and therefore help in diet control..

Celebrate National Peanut Day by eating peanuts wherever and whenever during the day that you can. Eating peanut butter counts, too. Want to try something different (and peanutty, of course)? Make your own Homemade Peanut Butter today.  Here’s how…

. Ingredients:

·         2 cups roasted shelled, unsalted peanuts

·         1 tablespoon peanut oil

·         1/4 teaspoon salt (optional for low salt diets)

Preparation  Directions:

·         Place peanuts, oil, and salt into a blender or food processor.

·         Blend well, until desired texture is reached.

·         Place peanut butter in airtight container.

·         For crunchy peanut butter, add 1/4 cup of peanuts and blend again, but, for just a short burst or two.

·         The oil can separate from the peanuts during storage. Simply stir and serve.

If you knew it was this easy, you'd probably have made you own Peanut Butter years ago. Important: Note: This is a great project to do with your kids. 

 Other Peanuttiest of days of the year:

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2nd.

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day celebrates the "PB and J" sandwich. It’s the favorite lunchtime sandwich of American kids, and many adults, too. Some kids practically live on Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

National Peanut Butter Lover's Day on March 1st .

Smooth Peanut Butter is by far the most popular. Crunchy peanut butter is also on the market, and is enjoyed by many. Peanut Butter is not limited to a Peanut Butter and Jelly (PB&J) sandwich. It's popular on crackers, celery and other "peanut butter" holders. It is also used in recipes for cookies and snacks. And, don't forget peanut butter candies, too!

Did you know? Peanut Butter is 90% or more peanuts. While it has no artificial preservatives, an opened jar is stored on a shelf at room temperature.

Peanut Trivia - Fun Facts

Peanuts

• The peanut is not a nut, but a legume related to beans and lentils.
• Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free.
• Peanuts account for two-thirds of all snack nuts consumed in the USA.
• There are four types of peanuts are grown in the USA. - Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia.
• Four of the top 10 candy bars manufactured in the USA contain peanuts or peanut butter.
• The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.
• March is National Peanut Month.
• Peanuts are planted after the last frost in April or early May.
• Dr. George Washington Carver researched and developed more than 300 uses for peanuts in the early 1900s; Dr. Carver is considered "The Father of the Peanut Industry" because of his extensive research and selfless dedication to promoting peanut production and products.
• Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
• The world's largest peanut was 4 inches long and was grown by Earl Adkins in North Carolina.
• 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.
• Most USA peanut farms are family-owned and -operated.
• The peanut plant originated in South America.
• 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.
• Peanuts contribute more than $4 billion to the USA economy each year.
• The peanut growth cycle from planting to harvest is about five months.
• The average peanut farm is 100 acres.
• The peanut plant produces a small yellow flower.
• Americans eat more than 600 million pounds of peanuts (and 700 million pounds of peanut butter) each year.
• Peanuts flower above ground and then migrate underground to reach maturity.
• Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the USA - Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
• Adrian Finch of Australia holds the Guinness World Record for peanut throwing, launching the lovable legume 111 feet and 10 inches in 1999 to claim the record.
• A mature peanut plant produces about 40 pods that then grow into peanuts.
• Peanuts are a good source of foliate, which can reduce the risk of certain birth defects in the brain and spinal cord.
• Ever wonder where the term "Peanut Gallery" comes from? The term became popular in the late 19th century and referred to the rear or uppermost seats in a theater, which were also the cheapest seats. People seated in such a gallery were able to throw peanuts, a common food at theaters, at those seated below them. It also applied to the first row of seats in a movie theater, for the occupants of those seats could throw peanuts at the stage, stating their displeasure with the performance.

Peanut Butter

• Peanut butter is the leading use of peanuts in the USA.
• Peanut butter was the secret behind "Mr. Ed," TV's talking horse.
• 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.
• 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.
• The oldest operating manufacturer and seller of peanut butter has been selling peanut butter since 1908.
• Peanut butter is consumed in 89 percent of USA households.
• The world's largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.
• Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky.
• People living on the East Coast prefer creamy peanut butter, while those on the West Coast prefer the crunchy style.
• It takes two grindings to make peanut butter. The intense heat produced from one, long grinding would ruin the flavor of the peanut butter.
• November is Peanut Butter Lovers Month.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
• The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school.
• The world's largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich was created in Oklahoma City, OK, on September 7, 2002, by the Oklahoma Peanut Commission and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. The PB & J sandwich weighed in at nearly 900 pounds, and contained 350 pounds of peanut butter and 144 pounds of jelly. The amount of bread used to create the sandwich was equivalent to more than 400-one pound loaves of bread. Now that's one giant sandwich!
• Sixty percent of consumers prefer creamy peanut butter over crunchy.
• The patent for peanut butter was awarded to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in 1895.
• The amount of peanut butter eaten in a year could wrap the earth in a ribbon of 18-ounce peanut butter jars one and one-third times.
• Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
• Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

How to Grow Peanuts

Sowing:
If you have a 130-140 day growing season, you can grow peanuts in your garden. Plant the peanuts outdoors after all danger of frost has past. Sow them one to two inches deep. Space seeds six to seven inches apart, in rows three feet apart.  If you have a shorter growing season than the plants need, sow seeds indoors two to four weeks before the last frost date for your area. Use individual peat pots to minimize transplanting shock.

Tip: You don't need to buy seeds from a seed store. Buy raw peanuts from your grocer, if available.

Origin of National Peanut Day:

I found no factual information about this special day, who created it, or the year it was first celebrated.  There was some reference to this as a "National Day". However, I found no congressional records or presidential proclamation. All three peanut holidays are described as national days. At least it’s consistent.

Hartson Sager Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net