Throughout history, peanuts have been known by many names. They include groundnuts, goobers, pinders, mani and ground peas. Peanuts are not actually nuts. They are members of the legume family. George Washington Carver is known as the Father of the Peanut Industry. He discovered about 300 different uses for the peanut. Carver probed that the peanut could be used for such diverse products as shaving cream, polish, soap, paint, shampoo, medicine, ink, linoleum, rubber, cosmetics, bleach, wallboard, kitty litter, paper and even explosives.

Peanuts are packed will fiber, vitamins and minerals. Peanuts are a rich source of resveratrol, a plant compound that many scientists believe may help reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer. One pound of peanuts has more nutritional value and calories than one pound of beef. Approximately half of a peanut seed is oil.

Peanut butter was first made in South America more than 3,000 years ago. The peanut butter we eat to day is said to have been invented in 1890 but a St. Louis physician who was trying to create a healthy food for his patients. About one half of all edible peanuts produced in North America are used to make peanut butter and peanut spreads. It takes about 700 peanuts to make one average size jar of peanut butter.