Making Groceries: Peanut Butter

This is so cool and so simple; I kicked myself for not making it earlier: peanut butter!

The lunch-time staple should only ever include 1-3 ingredients, but the popular brands contain a lot more (including corn syrup and chemicals). I switched to the natural brands when I started serving it to my kiddos, but this week I decided to make some myself and the results were DELICIOUS! All you need is a food processor. If you don’t have one, you may be able to find a machine that makes peanut butter in a natural grocery store which sells bulk food. I’ve seen such a contraption at Whole Foods. The advantage to making your own is, of course, freshness and quality control.

2 c roasted peanuts
sea salt (optional)
1 T coconut or peanut oil (optional)

1. Process peanuts in food processor for 3-5 minutes. This is what you’ll see: first it grinds them into fine bits. Next it will morph into a ball spinning around madly. Finally, you’ll notice it get sticky and gradually the ball will fall apart and you’ll be left with peanut butter. You can stop it when it reaches your desired consistency. It is important to have faith in your food processor. Allow it a lot of time to do its job. Scrape the sides only once or twice.

2. If you have processed it for 5 minutes, but it still is a bit dry and won’t get sticky, add a tablespoon of oil. Process again and let it do it’s magic. Probably your nuts were roasted so long that they dried out a bit. Don’t rush to add the oil, because most of the time you just need to process it longer.

3. If your peanuts had no salt, go ahead and sparingly add sea salt. Remember: the coarser the salt, the more time you need to allow it to break down to release it’s flavor, so add it pinch by pinch, processing a bit and tasting in between. My peanuts were already salted, so they didn’t need anything extra.

4. Store peanut butter in your refrigerator to extend its life, or if you like the spreadability of room temperature, make smaller batches more frequently. Nuts naturally go rancid, so keep that in mind. If you get an oil film on top that is normal. Just stir it well before you spread. Enjoy!

Some people like to add honey and you certainly can if you’d like. I almost always pair my peanut butter with something sweet, like jam, so I don’t need to add an extra sweetener. Also, I think it’s a good idea to keep sweet things sweet and savory things savory. It’s more natural that way and can save on unneccesary calories.

The Bottom Line
This is a winner! Taste-wise I’d describe this as the peanuttiest peanut butter I’ve ever had. The ease of making it is a no-brainer to me. By the way, Max and Jack were enthralled watching me make it. As far as cost, it’s about the same price as the all natural brands. I bought 24 oz of peanuts for $2.89. That will make about 16 oz of butter. The real savings would come in making almond butter, which is ridiculously pricey. I will post that recipe at a later date. If you need it now, contact me at rebecca@mamaguru.com. There are a few extra steps besides changing the nuts.

One of the best parts about making peanut butter, is that I can now make a meal out of my own homemade groceries!

Recipe to the Best PB&J in the Whole World

peanut butter
strawberry jam
artisan bread (made with 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat flour)