# Peanut Butter - Misc - NOT related to FDA recall (split)



## Caine (Mar 16, 2007)

You should buy natural peanut butter to get all the health benefits of peanut butter without all the additional junk the major manufactureres put into it to make it cheaper, such as sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Laura Scudder makes an excellent natural peanut butter, or if you have a Safeway or equivalent (Von's Dominick's, Randall's Thom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavillion's, Carr's) nearby, their Safeway brand natural peanut butter is excellent. Unless the ingredients are limited to peanuts and salt, it's not natural. It may taste a bit different to you at first because there's no sugar added, but after a couple of jars, if you taste JifF or Skippy or Peter Pan, you will wonder how you ever ate that junk.


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## Corey123 (Mar 16, 2007)

The only problem with that one is that the oil always tends to separate from the product, which most often neccesitates constant stirring when the stuff is about to be used.

My mom used to get that for us as kids, and we often hated using using it because of that! Too much aggravation, not to mention it being a nuisense.

Also, the pulverised peanut mixture would settle to the bottom of the jar and get hard.

If you have a blender or food processor, you can make your own as needed. That way, the oil will NEVER have the chance to separate.


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## bethzaring (Mar 17, 2007)

In my long history of using natural peanut butters, I have found it is not necessary to try to incorporate the oil with the peanut butter. Just the action of using the peanut butter, sticking in the spoon or knife to draw out the peanut butter, is enough to mix the oil in with the rest.  The first few uses, just let any extra oil in the spoon drain back in the jar.  Then after the jar is half full, you can then mix if you want.  I find I do not need to mix at all.


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## Caine (Mar 17, 2007)

If you incorporate the oil into the peanut butter when you first open the jar, then keep it refrigerated, *just like the directions on the jar tell you to do*, the peanut butter and oil will not separate again.


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## buckytom (Mar 17, 2007)

thanks for the warning.

uh oh, i got thom thtuck in the rooth o' my mouth. 

lol, if you want to drive your dog crazy (and make a pretty cool videotape), smear some peanut butter in the roof of your dog's mouth, and start recording. then dub the voice over and watch your dog talk!

that's how they did it with "lancelot link: private chimp".


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## Corey123 (Mar 17, 2007)

There is one brand that my mom used to get. I think it was Teddy. That one was the all natural kind that separated.

Then there WAS another brand of all natural that DIDN'T separate, but I forgot the brand.


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## bethzaring (Mar 17, 2007)

The natural peanut butter I use, does not need stirred, nor does the label give any sort of instructions that you need or may try to incorporate the oil into the peanut butter.  And I would think there are more that one pb on the market that does not need the oil stirred in once the jar is opened.  What I did not like about pb that needed stirred was the sloshing out of the oil in a full jar of pb, it was quite messy.  I use Arrowhead Mills 100% Valencia Peanut Butter.  There is maybe 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch of oil on top of a full container of pb. Not much oil at all. The only ingredient in this brand of pb is; Roasted Unblanched Valencia Peanuts.  It is very good tasting pb.


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## Corey123 (Mar 17, 2007)

There was so much oil in the natural pb that my mom used to get, that oil would spill over, greasing up the label and making the jar hard to keep still!

We, at times, would also empty the contents of the jar into a large bowl and blend the oil back in that way, but who would want to keep on going through that when they wanted to have a pb & j sandwich?


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## VeraBlue (Mar 17, 2007)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> There was so much oil in the natural pb that my mom used to get, that oil would spill over, greasing up the label and making the jar hard to keep still!
> 
> We, at times, would also empty the contents of the jar into a large bowl and blend the oil back in that way, but who would want to keep on going through that when they wanted to have a pb & j sandwich?




You think you had it rough???  My mother used to keep the peanut butter in the refrigerator!!!!  Talk about a hard job for a sandwich.  If you even suspected you might be in the mood for a peanut butter sandwich, you had to pull the baby out of the fridge at 7am so that by noon you'd be able to spread it without ripping the bread to shreads.


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## Corey123 (Mar 17, 2007)

I'm not sure if my mom did that, but yes, pb WILL congeal and become quite hard if it is refrigerated.

And besides, all this talk about pb is making me hungry, so I might have one. A pb & j that is. I had two of them yesterday afternoon, because I had the hungry horrors really bad! 

And my glucose level was getting dangerously low. I felt sick and weak and my stomach was growling..


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## VeraBlue (Mar 17, 2007)

what's your favourite way to eat a pb&j??

I love it on pumpernickle bread that's been slightly toasted...with strawberry jam.


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## Corey123 (Mar 17, 2007)

With strawberry jam or preserves and whole wheat bread. Also, try it with some apple butter. Luscious!!


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## bethzaring (Mar 17, 2007)

grilled

I have only grilled them my old method, pre-vintage sandwich maker.  Butter outside of whole wheat bread, crunchy peanut butter and probably homemade wild raspberry jam on the inside.  Toast in a cast iron skillet until lightly browned, flip and brown other side, cover pan while toasting.  It makes the peanut butter gooy and changes the character of a pb&j.


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## Caine (Mar 19, 2007)

That is not an "expiration" date, it is a "best if used by" date. Do you really believe that peanut butter, or anything else for that matter, is all hunky dory one day, then magically goes all to he11 the next?

I decided to spoil myslef on Sunday and made my world famous Huevos Rancheros Supremo. When all the cooking was done and I was in the middle of plating, I noticed that my sour cream had "expired" on January 7th. I smelled it, I drained the liquid off of the top, I tasted it, everything seemed copasetic, so I plopped a huge spoonful onto my huevos rancheros. I'm still alive!


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## mraa (Mar 19, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> I decided to spoil myslef on Sunday and made my world famous Huevos Rancheros Supremo.


Do you have a recipe to share?  I've lost my recipe due to a dead computer and I really would love to make good Huevos Rancheros.  I've had them at restaurants and they're not nearly as good as making 'em yourself.


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## Caine (Mar 19, 2007)

If you want to use MY recipe, you must agree to remove your shoes before eating, because I guarantee that my Huevos Rancheros Supremo will BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF! Unless you've eaten at my house, you've never had Huevos Rancheros like this.


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## mraa (Mar 19, 2007)

Ok, I'm hooked, I'd really like to try your huevos rancheros.  And don't worry, a texas girl NEVER wears shoes @ home, anyway ...


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## Corey123 (Mar 19, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> That is not an "expiration" date, it is a "best if used by" date. Do you really believe that peanut butter, or anything else for that matter, is all hunky dory one day, then magically goes all to he11 the next?
> 
> I decided to spoil myslef on Sunday and made my world famous Huevos Rancheros Supremo. When all the cooking was done and I was in the middle of plating, I noticed that my sour cream had "expired" on January 7th. I smelled it, I drained the liquid off of the top, I tasted it, everything seemed copasetic, so I plopped a huge spoonful onto my huevos rancheros. I'm still alive!


 


Maybe so, but I've had pb that has gone bad on me. And it can get just as rancid as oil or shortening!! Also, stores are not supposed to sell products beyond the date stamped on containers or packages of food.

And JM, technically, salmonella is only supposed to be in poultry and eggs. How on earth is it getting into other stuff?


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## Caine (Mar 20, 2007)

mraa said:
			
		

> Ok, I'm hooked, I'd really like to try your huevos rancheros. And don't worry, a texas girl NEVER wears shoes @ home, anyway ...


 
Check your Private messages


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## Caine (Mar 20, 2007)

Corey123 said:
			
		

> Maybe so, but I've had pb that has gone bad on me. And it can get just as rancid as oil or shortening!!


 
Well, of course you have. Anything organic will decompose if given enough time. The thing is, if you have a vacuum sealed, unopened jar of peanut butter in your cupboard, it will most likely still be good three years after it's "Best if Sold By" date if you haven't opened the jar.



			
				Corey123 said:
			
		

> Also, stores are not supposed to sell products beyond the date stamped on containers or packages of food.


 
No, they're not, but that doesn't preclude the consumer from actually using the product after the date stamped on the package. Like I said, my sour cream expired in January and I ate it two days ago, but, hey, it's SOUR cream, so it was ALREADY spoiled when I bought it!


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## Corey123 (Apr 2, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> Well, of course you have. Anything organic will decompose if given enough time. The thing is, if you have a vacuum sealed, unopened jar of peanut butter in your cupboard, it will most likely still be good three years after it's "Best if Sold By" date if you haven't opened the jar.
> 
> 
> 
> No, they're not, but that doesn't preclude the consumer from actually using the product after the date stamped on the package. Like I said, my sour cream expired in January and I ate it two days ago, but, hey, it's SOUR cream, so it was ALREADY spoiled when I bought it!


 


But it didn't have any mold or mildew on the surface or sides of the container, a definite indication that the suff has gone south completely.

This afternoon, I was in the supermarket picking up a few things. I decided to get some more peanut butter because the present one at home is about to run out.

I looked at all the brands there. First thing that I noticed was that Peter Pan in all forms was completely gone from the store shelves. So if anyone has any
ideas that it might have returned at all, it's still kaput.

Secondly, I looked at the ingredients of most of the brands there and saw that one of the ingredients is hydrogenated veggie oil; a form of trans fat. 

Thirdly, the next is refined sugars. Followed by high frutose corn syrup in some of them. I still do not like the idea of having to stir the oil back into the natural pb, so that was out as well.

Fourth, I came across a brand that is not that familiar with me - Smart Balance Omega. It says that the oil can still separate from it, but it's hardly visible. But like the other naturals, it contains absolutely no hydrogenated oils, trans fatty acids and no refined sugars!

Instead, it has 100 mg Omega 3, a healthy form of flax oil. It's lightly sweetened with a touch of molasses. It looks in every way like regular peanut butter, but without the things that are so unhealthy to the body. And it's new! 

I haven't tried it yet, but when I do, and if it tastes good, I'll stay with it!


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## Dina (Apr 3, 2007)

Found the most amazing peanut butter at our new grocery store.  We can now make our very own peanut butter with fresh honey roasted peanuts.  I'm in heaven!  It's a bit expensive but so worth it.


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## Michael in FtW (Apr 3, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> You should buy natural peanut butter to get all the health benefits of peanut butter without all the additional junk the major manufactureres put into it to make it cheaper, such as sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. ....


 
I sincerely doubt that "*additional*" ingredients make a product _*cheaper*_ ... either to produce or for the consumer. Basic laws of economics blow that idea out of the water ... 

They will, however, make something like peanut butter more "appealing" to the general public - a little sweeter, a little creamier, a little moister, prolong the shelf life a little longer after opening - and homogenized so they don't have to fuss with stirring the oil back into the glop at the bottom of the jar.


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