The Origin Story Of Crunchy Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a kitchen staple, found in 75% of American homes, according to South Florida Reporter, and a cross-culturally influential ingredient that dates back to the Incas. The oldest peanut butter brand, Krema, was created in 1908, so you may be wondering when peanut butter production split to include both crunchy and creamy styles. That happened in the 1930s inside Skippy peanut butter factories, not long after Joseph L. Rosefield founded the company. Certainly, Skippy's offering of both a creamy and crunchy spread had a large impact on the peanut butter industry.

Upon entering the peanut butter game, Rosefield found a way to partially hydrogenize peanut butter. This prevented its natural oils from separating, which extended its shelf life and, along with churning rather than grinding the peanuts, transformed it into the smooth and creamy consistency of today. From here, Rosefield established Skippy in 1932. What prompted him to offer a crunchy variety in addition to creamy isn't clear, but Rosefield already had a history as an innovator with peanut butter's consistency and processing. Given his penchant for experimenting with texture and peanut butter's originally coarse state, it likely didn't take much for him to figure offering a crunchy option would be the right move. Thus, in 1934, Skippy introduced crunchy peanut butter to the masses.

While Joseph Rosefield is credited for first mass-producing crunchy peanut butter, the spread has a long, storied history. Evidence of peanut butter in its original paste state can be found dating back to the Aztecs and Incas. Other iterations of a peanut paste are traced to a physician who was trying to find a way to get protein to patients with bad teeth in the 1890s. 

That said, Rosefield had an incredible impact on peanut butter, holding multiple patents. This included one for flavor and stabilizing methods and one for the machines used to make, seal, and package the containers. Rosefield also had the foresight to first recognize peanut butter and chocolate as a perfect pairing. Five years before Reese's Peanut Butter Cup came out in 1928, Rosefield attempted to debut his own brand, Choc-Nut Butter, an early chocolate and peanut butter mixture that unfortunately failed.

Despite the setback, Skippy peanut butter has remained an important and innovative player. Its affordability and good quality played a factor in it being used for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for World War II troops, thus granting it a part in the history of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The brand also doubled down on the crunchy fandom, debuting a super chunky peanut butter in 1994. Additionally, Skippy teamed up with New York City's Milk Bar to create a new recipe for its Milk Bar Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Pie. All of which should make anyone proud to be a Skippy peanut butter fan.