This Is The Oldest Peanut Butter Brand In The US

Smooth and creamy or thick and crunchy, peanut butter is a beloved spread that makes a killer sandwich. According to Statista, in 2019, Americans spent $2.3 billion on nut butters, and of course, when it comes to the brand we love the most, there are a lot of opinions. Skippy, Peter Pan, Nutella, and Jif all rank among those we put in our shopping carts, but when it comes to one peanut butter we buy more than others, Eat This, Not That!, reveals 117.31 million people in the U.S. are spending their money on Jif. 

So, you can imagine the tailspin that fans of this brand were sent into when the big Kahuna of peanut butter was recalled in 2022. Jif was removed from supermarket shelves in 12 states, per PBS, due to a salmonella outbreak. This left many counting the days before it would return and buying other brands to fill the void. But before Jif and many of the brands that excite your nut butter taste buds existed, there was peanut paste, per Peanut Butter Lovers. This peanut-butter-like product was created by a physician in St. Louis for people who had unhealthy teeth. But peanut butter quickly found a fan base after making its debut at the World's Fair in 1904. In fact, one of the pioneering PB companies that came into existence in 1898 is still in operation today, and it's the oldest nut butter in the United States.

According to the National Peanut Board, Krema Products Company was born in 1898 in Columbus, Ohio, and originally went by the name "The American Refining Company." In 1908, Krema began selling its own brand of peanut butter. What separates Krema peanut butter from others, per Paste Magazine, is the fact that it is made with just peanuts. There is no added sugar or salt.

Krema was eventually acquired by Richard Sonksen in 1988, who also decided to buy Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter in Pennsylvania. This addition allowed Sonksen to increase his distribution. Today, Sonksen's daughter Kimmi is running the Krema peanut butter show, only it has gone through a major rebrand and is sold under the Crazy Richard label, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

While Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter may not have the same name recognition as Jif, in 2019, TODAY polled nutritionists and discovered this brand ranked high with both nutritionists and chefs (via Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter). This nut butter is particularly lauded for its low sugar content; a serving of two tablespoons has just 190 calories, 8 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 2 grams of sugar. Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter can be found at Walmart and specialty stores.