Chapter 19 Activity A
Agriculture and
Biorelated Technology
Introduction
Many agricultural products are processed into foods people eat. One of these foods
everyone knows about is peanut butter. Peanuts have been around for centuries. They have
been found in mummy tombs in Peru. Peanut butter, however, is a product of recent history.
A famous physician, Dr. John Kellogg, developed it in 1890. He also invented cornflakes.
Dr. Kellogg developed peanut butter as a protein substitute for patients with no teeth.
Abrose Straub developed the first machine to make peanut butter in 1903. Later, the
famous agricultural scientist, Dr. George Washington Carver, developed an improved
version of peanut butter. In 1922, the commercial production of peanut butter was devel-
oped. This process kept the oil from separating in the peanut butter. Today, more than
half the American peanut crop is processed into peanut butter.
Equipment and Supplies
• A measuring cup.
• A food blender.
• 1 cup of roasted, unsalted, shelled peanuts.
• 1 1/2–3 tablespoons of peanut or safflower oil.
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Procedure
1. Place the peanuts and salt into a food blender.
2. Blend the peanuts and salt in the food blender. Add small amounts of oil to make
the peanut butter smooth.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks.
This makes about 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter.
Challenging Your Learning
Use the Internet or other research media to discover other products that can be
made from peanuts. Describe how one of these products is made.
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Section 4 Technological Contexts