Today is National Peanut Lover’s Day — Let’s Talk About the Peanut’s Classic Form: Peanut Butter

Yeah, that’s peanut butter, all right. The peanut’s perfect storm. Courtesy Wikimedia/PiccoloNamek

You read that headline correctly — March 1 is National Peanut Lovers Day. Now that we know that, what do we do? I decided to reminisce.

Yes, when I got word of this most special of “holidays” (isn’t every day some sort of goofy fake holiday these days?), I specifically began to muse about my life specifically with peanut butter, the brown sticky stuff that is salty and delicious and, for my money, the best possible use for peanuts. Yes, I like to nosh on shelled peanuts at a ball game, but otherwise, peanut butter is the main way I consume them.

Why? Because peanut butter goes with pretty much everything. Case in point, I once had peanut butter on a hot dog. I add it to a pot of chili for additional flavor depth and to thicken the texture. When churned to butter, the peanut is nearly perfect.

But first a little background; the peanut is technically a fruit that is usually categorized as a nut. It can go by several names, from goober to ground nut to, in the U.K., monkey nut. The oldest known archaeological remains of peanut pods date back more than 7,500 years, but human consumption of the peanut as we know it didn’t start to take off until the 1930s, per Wikipedia.

Yeah, those are peanuts, all right. Wikimedia Commons/Ivar Leidus

Legend has it that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter, when in fact there were peanut products resembling peanut butter that date back to the late 1700s, well before Carver released his book, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it For Human Consumption” in 1916. It has since grown so popular that the U.S. is the world’s leading exporter of peanut butter as well as one of the top consumers, along with the Netherlands.

But when I was but a toddler, my palate having a long way to go toward liking anything but Cheerios and candy, peanut butter, almost exclusively of the Jif variety (my mother was choosy, apparently), became my sustenance, my culinary sanctuary of sorts. I remember my grandmother would tell the story through the years that anytime I was at her house, all I wanted, ever, for lunch was peanut butter and Townhouse crackers. And the crackers were only the vehicle for the main course, if I recall correctly.

The tradition continued on with my younger cousin Tammy, who for several years refused to eat any lunch besides peanut butter and honey accompanied, I believe, by graham crackers. It was so pervasive in our memories that when she gave birth to her first child, I didn’t bring baby clothes or balloons to the hospital. I literally brought a jar of peanut butter and a jar of honey.

I never graduated to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like most kids, mostly because I didn’t care for jelly, but also because I didn’t want to taint the delicious tan spread. Peanut butter was my lunch and my preferred snack (again, right behind candy), and I probably would have eaten it for dinner if my Mom had let me.

As I grew up, it became a special treat when I was the lucky soul who got to bust open the new jar of peanut butter and use a butter knife to break that perfect, smooth surface to dig into the fresh, new peanut butter, with aromas of fresh roasted peanuts, that lay beneath. And since I ate the most peanut butter in the house, it was usually me who got to do the honors.

One day when I was about 15, I was in the kitchen preparing to make myself some peanut butter and cracker sandwiches (still using Townhouse, of course), and I was delighted to learn that the last jar had been emptied. Once again, I had struck magical gold, and as I reached into the silverware drawer to arm myself with the butter knife that would be used for the ceremonial breaking of the new peanut butter’s surface, Dad walked into the room.

I said, “I love being the first person to break open the new peanut butter!”

“Me too,” he said, abruptly sinking his right index finger into the jar, breaking the surface and coming up with a finger coated in the delicious spread. He shoved it into his mouth and walked away, as I doubled over with laughter. That’s honestly one of the funniest moments of my life, for some reason. And it involved peanut butter and that silly ritual.

My dad would — and I believe still does sometimes — eat peanut butter on saltines, and he would intentionally put way too much between the crackers. Then he would smash down the mini-sandwich and ritualistically lick each four sides to remove the oozing peanut butter. It was disgusting to watch, but I got it. Oh, I got it.

These days, I don’t enjoy peanut butter as often as I once did, but it’s always in my cabinet. Sometimes I get crunchy, sometimes creamy — I love both. Sometimes I get the organic version, which usually means no sugar added. And my new vehicle of choice are Cheez-it crackers. Seriously, if you haven’t tried peanut butter with Cheez-its, you haven’t lived.

But don’t get me started on peanut butter combined with chocolate. We all know how great that is, be it a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or just dunking a Hershey’s into the jar like an animal.

OK, I’m finished now. Honor the nut, love the butter. As a parting gift, below are a few fun peanut-centric products to check out. Until next time, Happy Peanut Lover’s Day.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Wings: Crisp, rippled potato chips covered in creamy peanut butter and drenched in gourmet milk or dark chocolate. They're reputedly tasty and unlike anything else on the market.

Chocolate Pizza: If peanut butter and chocolate got married, it might look like the Peanut Butter Pizza Avalanche made by The Chocolate Pizza Company. Gourmet milk or dark chocolate blended with homemade English toffee, colorful peanut butter candy and peanut butter cups? Yup.  To enhance the effect, each chocolate peanut butter avalanche pizza is sealed in cellophane and served up in a genuine pizza box too! For more information please visit:  

Americano Peanut Butter: Americano makes healthful, delicious nut butters that are perfect for peanut butter purists. You’d never know this organic and delectable peanut butter only contains two ingredients which really lets the flavor of the peanuts stand forth. Creamy, spreadable happiness.  For more information please visit:

Clarkson Ave. Crumb Cake: When the pairing of peanut butter and Jelly meets a classic crumb cake, the result is Clarkson Ave. Crumb Cake Company’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake. It’s vanilla cake with a thick layer of raspberry preserve, then topped off with a one-of-a-kind peanut butter crumbs. Moist and delicious, it’s made with fresh butter and real bourbon vanilla, then topped with a mountain of plump peanut butter crumbs that burst with flavor.  

Johnson’s Popcorn: Johnson’s Peanut Crunch Popcorn will no doubt be a fan favorite for peanut lovers everywhere. This popcorn has a rich, deep caramel flavor that is mixed with Spanish Peanuts to create the most savory clusters for every peanut lover around. Reputedly addictive.