I bought some Natural Peanut Butter the other day at Target. I needed some more peanut butter anyway, and I didn’t want the trans fat associated with regular peanut butter.
I hadn’t had natural peanut butter in years, probably not within the past ten years or so. As a kid, I didn’t like it much, as I preferred the sweetness of regular peanut butter. Trying it again now, it was quite tasty. It tasted as if it was created through crushing peanuts and putting the peanut-carnage right in a jar.
The only downfall, it seems, is that it was quite sticky — on a slice of bread it would seem to gum-up my mouth more so that regular peanut butter would tend to. I’m curious as to what factor is contributing to the stickiness.
I know it’s not for a lack of fat, as the Natural Peanut Butter has 16g (but of the “good fat”). And, I don’t think that the lower sugar-content would be a factor, as I wouldn’t think that sugar would contribute to stickiness one way or another.
Any ideas on techniques as to what could reduce the stickiness of natural peanut butter? I was thinking of adding (no-calorie) Splenda to my next peanut butter sandwich, so as to more closely resemble the sweetness that I’m used to, but is there anything that I could add that might unstickify the sandwich?
Maybe it’s the oil? When we ate Smuckers Natural we’d let the jar sit upside for a week before opening. The oil would separate — pour out a little and stir the rest back in thoroughly.
The stickiness is part of the goodness of natural peanut butter. I can’t stand that sugary junk like Jiff. Yuck. Ick. Gross.
Cool! I just bought some of this stuff last week and I was going to try it soon. Thanks for the review.
P.S. Splenda rocks!
make your own, bro.
http://www.nationalpeanutboard.com/cookbook/homemade.html
Asked my mum, who used to work at a health food store. She said the only difference between JIF and Natural Peanut Butter is (1) JIF adds sugar and (2) JIF adds partially hydrogenated oils. #2 makes it creamier, but also stickier.
Oops! Meant to say, less sticky.
I have been in the business of making peanut butter for the last 35 years. For the most part people have a preference for homogenized peanut butter, like JIF. I like the Natural Peanut Butter the most, but I do like JIF. JIF is a very good product. Very few companies, almost none, make natural peanut butter using the right equipment. If you want real natural peanut butter that is also fresh, visit KoezeDirect.com and purchase a jar of the Worlds Finest Natural Peanut Butter. If you like Natural Peanut Butter, you will not be disappointed. We only offer smooth with salt, not crunchy.
I am looking for imput from you people that love natural peanut butter. I found this on a search and will give more info to those who email me, thanks in advance. Did everyone enjoy National Peanut Butter and Jelly day April 2nd?
I actualy feel better eating Smucker’s PB because I know there’s no trans fat in it. I am used to the “different” taste and now find that Jif and Skippy, etc. taste “phoney.” Anyone try pb on banana slices? Yum!
Try the Krema brand that is made in Ohio.
The crunchy is the best I have ever tasted.
http://www.krema.com
The absolute best P/B sandwich;start with whole wheat bread,a layer of natural P/B,some unprocessed natural coconut oil(I’ts solid at 76 degrees and below,Url;www.coconutoil-online.com),add a little natural unprocessed raw honey and some banana and voila!It’s REALLY Delicious!
Put the jar of your natural peanut butter in the micorwave oven for a about ten SECONDS so it will soften a bit and it will be easier to spread on the breads. Make sure you remove the lid before you put the jar in the microwave oven.
The best and creamiest peanut butter is made in a blender on the liquified setting. I use dry roasted nuts and nothing else. The longer it is beaten the more creamy it becomes and will actually be like a liquid that is great for dipping. It takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare the peanut butter. Just beat to desired thickness or thinner.
How do you make peanut butter fudge with natural peanut butter. The texture is so different.
I used to be able to buy Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter at Walmart, and not anymore. Albertsons, Smiths, Costco, Sams do not carry it. I can’t find it anywhere in Santa Fe, NM. Where Can I buy it????????????
I am addicted to natural peanut butter. No salt. Just finely ground penuts. I find it at a place called “the bulk barn” where I live in Ontario, Canada. They have it in large bins, where you scoop out your own amount. It rocks.
I can eat spoonfuls everyday, or spread it on german rye bread (no additives), and eat it up. This combination is the best high-energy snack you will find. Honey and bananas also rock with the peanut butter. Or cranberry maple-syrup.
That with a cup of peppermint tea.
What is the best way to blend the oil when opening a fresh jar of natural peanut butter? I know about turning the jar upside down, but a week is too long to wait sometimes. Is there a gadget that works? (I thought of using something like the machine that stirs up paint!) Whatcha got?
I use a fork to mix it up and then always store it in the fridge which keeps the oil from separating.
I want to know the ingredients of Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter…I’m reading the book Fast Food Nation where it talks about how everything is secretly processed and i’m suspicious of Smuckers. Can anyone help me please
From peapod.com:
Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Peanuts, Salt.
Smuckers Natural Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter:
Ingredients: Peanuts, Maltodextrin (Replaces Fat), Fat Reduced Ground Peanuts, Salt.
Does anyone know whether Smuckers make “crunchy” natural peanut butter? We’re in Jensen Beach, FL, and would sure like to know where we might go to find the “crunchy” type of natural peanut butter.
Hello everyone; we have used Smuckers natural peanut butter exclusively for over 15 years and like it because of the flavor and non-hydrogenated oils. We recently invented a self-cleaning mixer to make it easy to stir up the separated oils in the original jar. Check it out at our website http://www.witmerproducts.com or e-mail me at oldpbmixer@aol.com for more information. Thanks.
I realize this is an old thread, but I just stumbled across it via Google (it was the first result in a search for “natural peanut butter”).
For the record, there are four varieties of Smuckers brand natural peanut butter: Chunky, Creamy, No Salt Added Creamy and Reduced Fat Creamy.
To find where you can buy a particular type, use their site’s “Flavor Finder” page at:
http://productlocator.infores.com/productlocator/resources/13/SMCK/sm_default.htm
I have always used sweetened Peanut Butter such as Skippy. I heard about the health benefits of using natural peanut butter so i decided to buy a jar of it. The first thing I noticed was that there is a layer of oil on top of the peanut butter. Common sense tells me to pour it right out, but I read a lot of posts wherein people mix it right in. So what’s healthier? Should I pour it our or mix it in?
I was just searching to find out if and what the difference is between peanut butter labeled “chunky” and “crunchy”…Is there a difference of the product or just the labeling?
I started making sunflower seed butter from fresh roasted sunflower seeds. I think it tastes way better than peanut butter and is not as fattening. 2 tbl = 7g Protein & 3g Carb which is pretty good. For anyone interested in trying: Put 1 cup sunflower seeds (roasted and without shells) into blender along with 2 tbl sunflower oil and 2 tsp sugar (or honey). Grind until creamy liquidy. Refrigerate. Enjoy! This is also a great substitute for anyone allergic to peanut butter. You can even add it to recipes, like cookies calling for pb, its a 1:1 substitute.
The oil on top of natural peanut butter is pure peanut oil. The oil is released in the grinding of the peanuts and it seperates over time. The oil makes the peanut butter creamy. Since peanut oil is widely considered a ‘good’ oil/fat, Stirring it in is fine. Pouring oil that has seperated from the peanut butter won’t hurt either… but it will probably affect the creaminess of the peanut butter.
need a mixer for the larger size jar. Please
I purchased a nut grinder like the one used at Whole Foods to make my own nut butters. It makes the most wonderful peanut butter with great consistancy. I would like to make almond butter and so bought some at the grocery store. Unfortunetly the Almond Butter came out too thick and dry. Does anyone know if I will need to add Almond oil or if I need to choose Almonds prepared a certian way. Thanks.
Smucker’s natural peanut butter is pretty good for a grocery store brand. Much better than the usual sugared up brands where they extract the peanut oil to sell and replace it with a less costly oil, and also add evil trans-fat oils for shelf life and creaminess.
I had wondered why Smuckers did not run attack ads against non-pure brands such as Jif.
Well it turns out that Smuckers owns Jif. This info was hard to find 2 years ago when I last checked, but they are pretty upfront about it now.
I have always stored my peanut butter jars upside down (it makes it much easier to remix in the oil – I use a butter knife). Someone recently suggested storing a jar sidewise. Does this make remixing easier?
does peanut butter give anyone really bad gas??
the primary sweetness difference in natural peanut butter and hydrogenated types is frequently molasses. my child was given jif or something like that and REFUSED natural peanut butter after that….it helps to stir in aTINY bit of molasses to natural for hard core junk food people trying to switch over.
Smuckers recently has become hard and crumbly. I’ve used Smuckers and other natural PBs for a decade or more. I am checking with customer service about this oddity.
Peg
I picked up some Marntha brand at Costco a few months back and it’s great. Much better than smuckers brand and less fat. This was the only link I could find.
Ooops the link
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/carbsmart/mpbcreamy.html
Natural peanut butter is soooo good I sometimes just grab a spoonfull of it when I see it! =p
About 2 years ago I purchased a jar of Smuckers Natural Peanut butter and was left unsatisfied.
I couldnt get myself to go back to the nasty sugar peanut butters so I again tried a few more natural peanut butters. To this day I am hooked on Shur-Fine Natural Peanut Butter. It’s labled as creamy which makes me wonder if there is a chunky (that would rock). This brand seems to have more oil in it then most others and I think that may be the reason why it’s so good. I never have any problems with dry spots near the bottom =p
And to add another 2cents. Try Natural Peanut butter on Dark Chocolate it gives you a new reason to live!
I prefer Divine or Equal Exchange dark chocolate bars as they are both fair trade.
Happy PB&J to all!
Does anyone know if the peanuts in the Smuckers ( or Adams 100% Natural Creamy) are dry roasted or raw?
I saw an ad in a magazine for “Stir It Up”! How can I get the peanut butter mixer?
I am interested in the “Stir It Up” peanut butter mixer. How can I get it?
If you thoroughly mix all the oil into the peanut
butter, and refrigerate it, it is very smooth. It takes alot of effort to mix it thoroughly though!
RE:“Stir It Up†peanut butter mixer–http://www.witmerproducts.com/pbutter.html
I’ve always hated stirring in the oil. The mixer looks pretty nice; I’m going to try one.
I had just been to that website before I came here. I see the inventer was here, too, see Item 22 dtd 4/10/04.
Try making . It’s great on noodles, chicken or salads and it’s easy to make. Plus, it won’t stick to the roof of your mouth.
Adam’s no-stir is a great peanut butter. I waited a long time for this peanut butter. It is great. Thanks to Smuckers for that and their great natural Jams. For those who like a sweeter peanut butter, try Reeses Peanut Butter. It is made by Hershey’s, who also makes great products. Between Hershey’s and Smuckers we have two great peanut butters.
Is it necessary to store natural peanut butter in the frig? Can’t you just leave it at room temperature for the few weeks it takes before you finish the jar? Or as an alternative, if refrigeration is required, is it OK to warm it in the microwave each time you use it?
nice suggestions, but i need to know what kind of jar to store peanut butter and what preservative to increase its shelf life for about 6months.thanks
Skippy’s “natural” peanut butter contains roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt. The ingredients may be natural but I believe the reason it doesn’t have to be stirred is because of the added palm oil which is solid at room temperature. http://www.organic-consultancy.com/articles/OGB/palmoil.shtml
Palm oil is highly saturated even more than lard or butter, so I would avoid so-called natural peanut butters that contain palm oil.
I looked at Smucker’s label and it contains only roasted peanuts and salt.
I purchase Kroger’s brand of natural peanut butter in the chunky and smooth varieties. They are inexpensive and taste fresh and also only contain roasted peanuts and salt.
I was lucky that a friend told me how to stir it up. If your have a heavy duty mixer with dough hooks, attach only one. I attach ONLY one to the side away from me as I’m right-handed, and it seems I’m more able to control the mixer that way. Now keeping a good grip on the peanut butter jar with the left hand, I insert the dough hook about 1-2 inches, then turn the mixer on at a low speed. WARNING: KEEP A TIGHT GRIP. Then by moving the jar around and also the dough hook, I let the dough hook stir the peanut butter, working it toward the bottom and also around the sides. I very carefully and keeping my hand around the jar, for only a moment at a time will loosen the grip on the jar, so it will be rotated to more quickly mix the peanut butter. This works well for me and is a snap once you become accustomed to it. My husband eats the smooth variety which is a little runny. I guess one could pour off some of the oil, but the chunky turns out great for me.
I can’t imagine that anyone will happen upon this post, but it’s worth a shot. Has anyone ever tried using a stick blender to mix the oil into natural peanut butter? I had a particularly rough jar last night when I was making my daughter’s lunch and I was looking for a better alternative to 15 minutes of hacking at it with a fork. This occured to me today, (of course) so I won’t be trying it until our next jar, but if anyone else has tried it, please let me know. Thanks!
I want to buy a peanut grinder for home use … where should I look. don’t like the food processor type.thanks
“Carolyn Partain says:
Skippy’s “natural†peanut butter contains roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt. The ingredients may be natural but I believe the reason it doesn’t have to be stirred is because of the added palm oil which is solid at room temperature. http://www.organic-consultancy.com/articles/OGB/palmoil.shtml
Palm oil is highly saturated even more than lard or butter, so I would avoid so-called natural peanut butters that contain palm oil.”
The fact that it contains a lot of saturated fat does not make it bad for you. Palm contains no cholesterol which I assume would be the reason for you to think it’s bad. It does contain medium chain fatty acids which are a great source of energy used immediately by the body and unlikely to be stored as fat. They also have a lot of antiviral and antibacterial properties and help normalize blood trigliceride levels. Palm oil is a very healthy oil.
I am also interested in a home grinding machine (that doesn’t cost thousands)… I want to do other nuts like walnuts for a family member who can’t have peanuts. The food processor chops, but doesn’t “mash” the nuts enough to bring out the oils and make it “pasty”. HELP! Thanks!!!
“Tyler says:
‘The fact that it contains a lot of saturated fat does not make it bad for you. Palm contains no cholesterol which I assume would be the reason for you to think it’s bad. It does contain medium chain fatty acids which are a great source of energy used immediately by the body and unlikely to be stored as fat. They also have a lot of antiviral and antibacterial properties and help normalize blood trigliceride levels. Palm oil is a very healthy oil.'”
I disagree. Of course, I don’t think it’s bad for you if it contains no cholesterol. It’s bad because of the saturated fat. http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/chewonthis/archives/2006/11/low_in_trans_fa.html
Just because something is a source of energy does not mean it’s a healthy food source. Any food rich in fat such as that found in palm oil may be loaded with calories, but that doesn’t make it good for you. Any calories not utilized by the body are stored as fat. Also please list a website maintained by a reliable authority where I can learn as you say that palm oil has antiviral and antibacterial properties that normalize blood triglyceride levels.