# Natural peanut butter **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074 "2009-12-05T05:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/21 "2009-12-05T20:29:37Z")
I’ve had Adams before so it’s not a fluke it _ **is** _ like that. Now I love peanuts so I’ll eat them anyway I can get them 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/22 "2009-12-05T20:49:47Z")
I’ve never been a fan of natural peanut butter. The texture and consistency is always wrong. I’ve never seen creamy natural peanut butter. I like the new Peter Pan whipped peanut butter. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/23 "2009-12-05T20:59:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > And then use the poured-off oil for cooking? You’d think so, and I see **pythonzzz** ’s response. My wife says something about “refined peanut oil having a higher smoke point” or something. Mine just goes down the drain, and I always feel very wasteful. ETA: But now she’s looking it up… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/24 "2009-12-05T21:03:52Z")
**JLA** aren’t you the guy who’s all about Trader Joe’s? If so, I’m surprised you haven’t tried their natural peanut butter yet like **RTFirefly** suggested. The last time I checked it was $2/jar (in Ohio) which is slightly cheaper than what you find at a regular grocery store. I used to go and buy 8 or 10 jars at a time. Yeah you do have to stir it and you have to stir it GOOD. If you just do it half-assed, when you get to the bottom of the jar you will be sorely disappointed with your peanut cement. I read on this board one time the suggestion to keep your stirred natural PB upside-down in the fridge. It keeps it from separating and if it does separate, the oil would rise up through the peanut butter. I do that now and it seems to work great. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/25 "2009-12-05T21:13:54Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > **JLA** aren’t you the guy who’s all about Trader Joe’s? If so, I’m surprised you haven’t tried their natural peanut butter yet like **RTFirefly** suggested. Yep. And I have. Almond butter, too. But for ‘PBJ Like Mom Used To Make’, it has to be Skippy. I got the Adams because I happened to pass by it at Costco and thought, ‘Oh, yeah. I’m out of peanut butter,’ and they didn’t have Skippy. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Cleveland\_Steamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Cleveland\_Steamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Cleveland_Steamer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/26 "2009-12-05T21:45:32Z")
Tip for natural peanut butter: store it upside-down before stirring. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/27 "2009-12-05T23:55:06Z")
Probably not available everywhere, but Central Market natural peanut butter has a good texture and doesn’t seem to separate as much. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/28 "2009-12-06T12:43:19Z")
> [@Glory](#): > > I would be afraid the last bit would be absolutely dry and inedible if I poured off the oil to start. It’s likely to be un_spread_able. But in_ed_ible? Hardly! Wish you could just send that part of the jar over here. 🙂 ETA: even then, I bet a short nuking would make it spreadable once more. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/29 "2009-12-06T18:18:09Z")
My favorite was always Superman Peanut Butter, but now I cant find it anywhere. Anybody know where I can buy Superman peanut butter? ---
**Author:** ![LegendHasit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/legendhasit/32/8246_2.png) [@LegendHasit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegendHasit)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/30 "2009-12-07T06:34:29Z")
**Glory** , thanks for the link to the stirrer thingy. I didn’t know such existed! ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/31 "2009-12-07T13:46:35Z")
You guys are working way too hard to get your PB fix. Jif is everything I need. Interestingly enough, Jif smells and tastes more like peanuts than any of the natural stuff I’ve ever tried (including Trader Joes - had to throw it out). ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/32 "2009-12-07T15:32:03Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Trader Joe’s has natural peanut butter in all four combinations of crunchy, creamy, salted, and unsalted. I’m a creamy unsalted guy, myself. > > Some of the oil usually separates while sitting on the shelf at the grocery store, which is fine: I like mine at the thick end of the spectrum, because I tend to snack a lot on PB straight from the jar, and I love the texture of the stuff on the bottom that you can practically slice. So I pour as much oil off the top as has separated out, then stir the rest. > > That’s probably not most people’s taste, but like ZenBeam said, if you find natural PB to be too soupy for you, experiment with pouring off varying amounts of oil before stirring, and see what consistency you like. You are not alone. I like to pore off the oil from my natural PB which leaves a kind of thick, fudge-like pulp. Great for eating right from the jar but it is difficult to spread, especially since the stuff has to be refrigerated. I basically treat it like butter - needs to be warmed up to work properly but if I’m in hurry I am willing to accept some torn bread. ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/33 "2009-12-07T22:29:18Z")
If you’re left with the solid fudge-like blob in the jar, just shave it with a knife and lay the slices on the bread without trying to smear it on. Or just chunk it up and eat it as-is, mmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/34 "2009-12-07T22:40:59Z")
Heh. I heard an interview on NPR with some world class chef who swears by Jif and Peter Pan. There are flavors we are accustomed to that just can’t be replicated, and their substitution isn’t desireable, even when it means going more homemade or “authentic”. Said the same thing about ketchup, and how a few years ago every restaurant was trying to make their own in house, and customers just kept asking for a bottle of Heinz. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/35 "2009-12-07T22:45:11Z")
Skippy Natural seems to have solved the separation issue somehow. It does, however, contain sugar, palm oil, and salt. This may be a deal-breaker for you. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/36 "2009-12-07T22:45:23Z")
I like the organic Whole Foods store brand stuff. Yep, I have to stir it, which I do thoroughly, and then put it in the fridge. It does get stiff, but that’s easily solved: dig out a few frigid chunks onto a saucer and microwave it for 10 seconds or so. It gets all creamy and shiny and spreadable. Then onto whole wheat toast or a carb-cutting tortilla with banana slices. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/37 "2009-12-07T22:47:24Z")
> [@pythonzzz](#): > > Yep - pour off 2/3 into another jar, use it in stir-fry dishes. Literally cut the remaining oil into the pb with a table knife, store on a shelf (not the fridge)and remix at each use. We did this with our old brand. Only instead of using it for cooking, when we got to the bottom of the jar, we would add some of it back in to re-soften the peanut butter. The brand we use now isn’t so oily and only requires a few swirls with the knife before you scoop it out. > [@pythonzzz](#): > > Skippy/Jif tastes like shortning - blargh. I find I can’t take all the icing sugar in commercial peanut spreads. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/38 "2009-12-07T23:15:26Z")
> [@Glory](#): > > I love natural peanut butter, the other kind has a very waxy texture to me now. > > I bought a special [stirrer](http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen ___Helpers_and_Accessories___ Utensils_and_Tools ___Natural_Peanut_Butter_Mixer___ 54322?Args=&customField1=W9) for it. > > Works like a charm! I haven’t had any problems using it with any size jar, I just press down on the top if the opening is too small. I haven’t found a jar with a mouth too large, yet. Thank you Glory, you’re a lifesaver! I hate wiping off peanut butter oil from the counter. Isn’t that stirrer too long for shorter jars though? I buy [this kind](http://www.vons.com/IFL/Grocery/CategoryDisplay?catalogIdentifier=OOOOrganics&identifier=OOPeanutButter) and the jars are shorter than [these typical natural peanut butter jars](http://www.adamspeanutbutter.com/). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/39 "2009-12-07T23:28:23Z")
Why buy peanut butter? It’s extremely easy to make in any food processor. Throw the peanuts and oil in and turn it on. It’s takes only minutes to make a fresh batch. You don’t have to worry about preservatives or filthy facilities (remember last winters peanut recall). For us making peanut butter is like popping popcorn. We do it anytime we want a snack. > **[How to Make Peanut Butter: 15 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Peanut-Butter)** > > Peanut butter is a delicious spread commonly used in sandwiches, baked goods, candy, and even milkshakes. Making peanut butter at home can help you save money while creating a healthier, tastier snack. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074/40 "2009-12-08T00:41:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Why buy peanut butter? It’s extremely easy to make in any food processor. This assumes that everyone has a food processor, no? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-peanut-butter/520074.md?page=3)