Saturday, November 16. It’s a time to celebrate one of life’s simple, viscous pleasures — it’s Peanut Butter Lovers Month.
The stuff of one of America’s favorite sandwiches, peanut butter was first offered to the public at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. But as we currently know it — with the peanuts roasted and the product churned like butter to be smooth and so the oil won’t separate — peanut butter didn’t appear on grocery shelves until the 1920s.
Annually, just over 7 pounds of peanuts and its products are available per capita. Otherwise, peanut oil is used in making paints, cosmetics, and lubricants, while the shells are used to make wallboard, abrasives, and fuel.
Making peanut butter and roasting nuts is a $14.2 billion a year business in America.
Profile America is in its 23rd year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online.
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