George Washington Carver's discovery of peanut milk contributed to his fame as the "Peanut Man." He certainly had dreams for its commercial success. He did not see it as a substitute for cows' milk but as an important new supplement to the human diet. The peanut was rich in protein and other nutrients, and he hoped that it might also serve as a replacement for those unable to consume cows' milk.

As with many of his other inventions, Carver created peanut milk by a process of trial and error. He knew that peanuts contained a high percentage of oil and that they also contained varying amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. His peanut milk was an emulsion of these oils, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. In fact, he made several kinds of peanut milk by varying the proportions of some of these components and by adding water. Like oil in vinegar, peanut oils in water formed an emulsion, a suspension of tiny globules, since the two liquids are immiscible. Carver, who first made peanut milk in 1919, was very happy with his creation, using it to make tasty bread and creamed vegetables.

On September 22, 1919, Carver informed Dr. Robert Russa Moton, Tuskegee University's president, of his discovery, and Carver began to publicize his new product in speeches. This information soon reached members of the peanut industry in Alabama, and Carver was invited to speak about peanut milk and his other peanut derivatives at a 1920 meeting of the United Peanut Association in Montgomery, Alabama. When he arrived, he, as a black man, was not allowed to enter the convention hall by the front entrance, but he was finally allowed to reach the meeting hall through a rear entrance. He then lectured the delegates about the virtues of peanut milk, which, he stated, could be made more quickly and efficiently than a cow produces milk. His talk was enthusiastically received, and several delegates wanted to facilitate the commercial development of peanut milk. However, Carver's hopes for its commercialization were frustrated when he learned of a patent for peanut milk that had been filed in England in 1917.

Carver believed that his product was superior to the English version. He went on to make thirty-two kinds of peanut milk, but he never patented any of his formulas. Nevertheless, Carver's advocacy of his creations proved to be beneficial for the peanut industry, since it was his life and personality, not his peanut milk, that ultimately excited the public.

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