Thursday, August 13, 2009

Natural Peanut Butter

If you eat as many PB&J's as we do you may be as concerned as I was to find out the leading brands contain high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. A few years ago we switched to the natural variety to avoid these two ingredients.


While I prefer the "no need to stir" brands (Skippy and JIF both have one), some of you may be peanut butter purists and may like the kind that has to be stirred and refrigerated.


Because the oil separates with this type, it can be a royal mess when trying to stir and get the oil evenly distibuted. So here's the tip: Store the jar of peanut butter upside down. Most of the oil will be at the bottom of the jar, making it so much easier to stir.


I also recommend Grandpa Witmer's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer ($12, lehmans.com). I gave it to my mom for Christmas one year and she loves it.


I personally store my JIF Natural (no need to stir) upside down, as well, because minimal oil separation with any non-hydrogenated peanut butter is possible. I like the last bit to be just as creamy as the first.

4 comments:

  1. I'll have to try that. We eat organic peanut butter and almond butter, and I dread having to stir in the oil. Thanks!

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  2. ok. tell the truth. do the natural peanut butters taste like diet drinks?

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  3. Natural PB's vary. The JIF and Skippy "no need to stir" kind have fat, salt and sugar added so they taste almost identical to the original stuff. They just use palm oil rather than hydrogenated oil and actual sugar and molasses rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Buy a small container and do a taste test. If you don't like it, I'll buy it from you!

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  4. okay. you've convinced me. i'll give it a try!

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