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Q: First peanut butter, creamy or chunky ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: First peanut butter, creamy or chunky
Category: Family and Home > Food and Cooking
Asked by: pklingem-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 03 Aug 2003 12:09 PDT
Expires: 02 Sep 2003 12:09 PDT
Question ID: 238514
I need a definitive answer on whether the first peanut butter created
was creamy or chunky.  This will settle a petty argument.
Answer  
Subject: Re: First peanut butter, creamy or chunky
Answered By: juggler-ga on 03 Aug 2003 13:33 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hello.

Well, it seems that the first peanut butter was neither "creamy" nor
"chunky." Rather, it was "pasty" and "gritty."

The earliest peanut butters did not have the "creamy" texture that we
enjoy today.  Rather, early peanut butters have been described as
"gritty." Creamy peanut butter was developed in the 1920s by "Skippy"
inventor Joseph Rosefield.

sources:

"In 1922, Joseph L. Rosefield began selling a number of brands of
peanut butter in California. These peanut butters were churned like
butter so they were smoother than the gritty peanut butters of the
day."
source: Peanutbutterlovers.com
http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com/history/

"In 1922, Joseph L. Rosefield developed peanut butter as we know it
today. His peanut butter was "churned" like butter making it smoother
than the gritty peanut butters of the day. It was a shelf stable
product that maintained freshness for up to one year without
refrigeration."
source: "Jif Peanut Butter" hosted by kellogg.nwu.edu
http://www.kellogg.nwu.edu/faculty/sterntha/htm/module3/8.html

"... Joseph [Rosefield] developed the hydrogenation process that
transformed peanut butter from a pasty to a creamy consistency."
source: svcn.com
http://www.svcn.com/archives/lgwt/03.21.01/obituaries-0112.html

--------------------

On the other hand, "chunky" peanut butter was not developed until the
1930s.  Basically, "chunky" peanut butter is just creamy peanut butter
mixed with "peanut granules."

 "In 1934, Skippy added the first chunk style peanut butter."
source: "Jif Peanut Butter" hosted by kellogg.nwu.edu
http://www.kellogg.nwu.edu/faculty/sterntha/htm/module3/8.html

"To make chunky peanut butter, peanut granules are added to the creamy
peanut butter."
source: aboutpeanuts.com
http://www.aboutpeanuts.com/every.html

"to make chunky peanut butter, the manufacturer will add peanut
granules to the creamy peanut butter. "
source: gapeanuts.com
http://www.gapeanuts.com/kids/faq.htm

-----------------

So if early peanut butter was neither creamy nor chunky, what was it? 
Apparently, it was "pasty."

source:

" In 1890, an unknown St. Louis physician supposedly encouraged the
owner of a food products company, George A. Bayle Jr., to process and
package ground peanut paste as a nutritious protein substitute for
people with poor teeth who couldn't chew meat...
 The Kelloggs' patent for the "Process of Preparing Nut Meal" in 1895
described "a pasty adhesive substance that is for convenience of
distinction termed nut butter." However, their peanut butter was not
as tasty as peanut butter today because the peanuts were steamed,
instead of roasted, prior to grinding..."
source: peanutbutterlovers.com
http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com/history/

search strategy:
"peanut butter", invented
"first peanut butter", creamy
"chunky peanut butter", invented

I hope this helps.  I'm not sure how well this answer will settle your
argument, though.  Whoever said "creamy" could claim partial victory
in the sense that "creamy" did come before "chunky."  On the other
hand, the opponents could point out that the first peanut butter was
not in fact "creamy."
pklingem-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $1.00
This was my first question using this service, and you answered it
very well and punctually for on two beans.  So everyone was right,
which kinda sucks but it will have to do.

Comments  
Subject: Re: First peanut butter, creamy or chunky
From: juggler-ga on 03 Aug 2003 16:42 PDT
 
Thank you for the tip.
-juggler

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