November: Peanut Butter Lovers Month

With a new month comes new celebrations.  And a great cause for celebration is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month!  In honor of this occasion, here are some fun facts about peanut butter and the nuts behind the butter!

• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• In one acre, there are enough peanuts to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. 
• By law, any product labeled "peanut butter" in the United States must be at least 90% peanuts.  (For local, single-ingredient peanut butter, check out Mound City!)
• In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec was the first person to patent peanut butter. 
• Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition (World's Fair) in our own St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 of the "new treat" at his concession stand. 
• Peanut butter was the secret behind "Mr. Ed," TV's talking horse.  
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
• The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.  
• Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 
• There are four types of peanuts grown in the USA - Runner, Virginia, Spanish, and Valencia.

Source: National Peanut Board