Who invented peanut butter? Was it George Washington Carver?
Peanut butter is a popular ingredient in a wide range of recipes, from savoury to sweet. At the same time, many associate George Washington Carver with the question of who invented peanut butter; his connection to this spread is more nuanced.
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George Washington Carver, dubbed "The Father of the Peanut Industry," played an important role in popularising the legume. Let us look at who invented peanut butter and how others contributed to its production.
Who invented peanut butter?
As reported by the National Peanut Board, the earliest reference to peanut paste dates back to the ancient civilisations of the Incas and Aztecs, who ground-roasted the nuts into a spreadable form. These communities were among the most powerful and advanced civilisations in the Americas, existing long before European settlers arrived.
The origins of peanut butter
The idea of butter as a processed, shelf-stable product was introduced in the late 19th century. At least three inventors contributed to the development of the modern spread by introducing strategies to improve its texture, taste, and manufacturing processes.
Marcellus Gilmore Edson
In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Canada patented a peanut paste prepared by grinding roasted ones between two hot surfaces. His innovation laid the groundwork for subsequent developments.
John Harvey Kellogg
In 1895, John Harvey Kellogg, an American physician and nutritionist, developed a process for making butter from raw peanuts. Kellogg, best known for producing Kellogg's cereals, intended to provide a digestible, high-protein meal for his patients at Michigan's Battle Creek Sanitarium.
His paste was created as a nutritious protein substitute for people who struggled to chew solid foods. Kellogg's creation, which differed slightly from modern butter, contributed to the popularity of peanuts as a healthy food.
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Dr. Ambrose Straub
By 1903, Dr. Ambrose Straub, a physician from St. Louis, Missouri, had taken another significant step by patenting a peanut butter-making machine. This breakthrough enabled large-scale manufacture, ultimately contributing to the butter's status as a household staple in America.
Did George Washington Carver really invent peanut butter?
George Washington Carver was an African American scientist recognised for his agricultural discoveries, particularly with groundnuts. Carver made significant contributions to the legume industry but did not develop the butter. According to the National Peanut Board, the butter existed years before his birth.
When was George Washington Carver born?
Carver was born into slavery in Diamond Grove, Missouri, around 1864, near the end of the Civil War. A passionate learner, Carver pursued education against significant odds, eventually earning a master's degree in agriculture from what is now Iowa State University in 1896.
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According to Iowa State's CALS program, Carver is credited with developing more than 300 uses for peanuts and more than 150 uses for sweet potatoes. He also produced a variety of meals and beverages from soybeans.
George Washington Carver's tireless advocacy
In 1914, Southern farmers suffered economic difficulty due to cotton crop soil depletion and the boll weevil invasion. Carver advised these farmers to diversify by cultivating legumes, restoring soil nitrogen, and opening up new economic prospects.
He promoted the peanut through lectures, publications, and demonstrations. In 1916, he published a pamphlet titled How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.
During World War II, he assisted Henry Ford in the production of peanut rubber for cannons. The NAACP awarded Carver the Spingarn Medal in 1923 for his achievements.
TIME magazine dubbed Carver "Black Leonardo" in 1941 in recognition of his accomplishments. According to The Linnean Society, Martin Luther King Jr. praised him for his great work, saying:
"From oppressive and crippling surroundings, George Washington Carver lifted his searching, creative mind to the ordinary peanut and found therein extraordinary possibilities for goods and products unthinkable by minds of the past and left for succeeding generations an inspiring example of how an individual could rise above the paralysing conditions of circumstance."
When did George Washington Carver die?
Carver passed away on January 5, 1943, at the age of 79, following complications from severe anaemia after a serious fall. He was laid to rest beside Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee University.
Frequently asked questions
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Now that we have a clearer picture of the butter's origins and the contributions of multiple inventors, we address some common questions about this popular spread.
- Did George Washington Carver really invent peanut butter? While he developed hundreds of uses for the legume, others developed the butter itself.
- Who was the inventor? Its modern production is credited to at least three inventors: Marcellus Gilmore Edson, John Harvey Kellogg and Ambrose Straub.
- Who invented peanut butter and jelly? Julia Davis Chandler wrote the first peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe in 1901 for the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics.
While George Washington Carver is often linked to who invented peanut butter, he was not the only one. However, his invaluable work with peanuts undoubtedly supported the growth of the peanut industry.
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