In the shelling plant

From the buying station, the peanuts travel to shelling plants. The peanuts are passed over a series of screens which separate any farm materials such as sticks and rocks from the peanuts and then separate the peanuts by size.

The peanuts are shelled and then inspected by a laser beam and by people to eliminate any immature kernels. The sheller then packs the peanuts into bags, boxes or railcars for delivery to product manufacturers.

In the peanut butter plant

The peanut butter manufacturers inspect the peanuts to ensure high quality then roast them in special ovens which provide an even roast. After roasting, the peanuts are fast-cooled by suction fans that circulate air quickly. Rapid cooling is necessary to halt the cooking process, retain an even color and prevent the loss of too much oil.

Another machine rubs the peanuts gently between rubber belts to remove the outer skin ~ this is called blanching. The kernels are split, the hearts removed and the peanuts are cleaned and sorted a final time.

Finally, the peanuts are ground in two stages (one long grinding would produce too much heat, damaging the flavor of the peanut butter). In the first stage, the peanuts are ground alone. In the second stage, salt, sweetener and stabilizer (to keep the oil from separating) are added.

How It's Made. Retrieved April 27, 2008 from peanutbutterlovers.com Website: http://www.peanutbutterlovers.com/howmade/index.html