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March is traditionally marked with green rivers, shamrocks, elusive pots of gold and leprechauns. But perhaps another little creature to watch out for in March is Planter’s Mr. Peanut, because this month is recognized as National Peanut Month.
Historians believe peanuts originated in South America, where the ancient Incas were known to have mashed them into a paste-like material. Many of their grave sites have been found with jars containing peanuts, being left for the dead in order to provide food in the afterlife.
When the Spanish explorers landed in South America and Mexico they took the precious peanuts to Africa, Spain and
Asia. Scholars think that either African slaves or Spanish traders introduced peanuts to North American colonists.
By the 17th century, they were being grown commercially in South Carolina and Virginia.
Today, peanuts account for more than $4 billion of United States economy each year. The United States, Sudan, Argentina, Brazil and Senegal account for 71 percent of the world’s total peanut exporters. The peanut isn’t really a nut, but a legume related to lentils and beans. The nutritional value makes them worth consuming.
Peanuts are a good source of protein, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. They are naturally cholesterol-free and contain folate, which can reduce the risk of certain birth defects in the spinal cord and brain.
The peanut is to the body as their shells and oil are to the environment. Peanut shells can be found in animal feed, paper, kitty litter, plastic, wallboard, fireplace logs and certain glues. Some power plants are even fueled by peanut shells.
Peanut oil can be found in furniture polish, varnish, paint and insecticides.
Consider these peanut and peanut butter facts from the National Peanut Board:
• Both Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were peanut farmers.
• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
• The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.
• The world’s largest peanut was four inches long.
• Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
• The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he or she graduates high school.
• The secret behind television’s talking horse, “Mr. Ed,” was peanut butter.
• There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
• Peanuts account for two-thirds of all snack nuts consumed in the U.S.
National Peanut Month began as National Peanut Week in 1941, but was extended to a full month in1974.
PeanutButterLovers.com and the National Peanut Board list the following tasty peanut recipes: Southern Peanut Butter Soup with Pepper Jelly, Peanut Crusted Beef, Tropical Fruit Salad with Ginger and Peanuts, Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce and Peanut Crusted Salmon.
Chad Mendenhall