It’s National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! Unlike “Peanut Butter Day” in January, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day celebrates those who love peanut butter and the different ways they eat it.
When you think of peanut butter, most people think of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But peanut butter is present in all kinds of popular dishes and deserts. According to the National Peanut Board the ten top selling candy bars in America all feature peanut butter or peanuts in some combination, as do the Girl Scouts of America’s third and fourth best-selling cookies, the Tagalong and Do-si-dos.
Did you know that…
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Peanuts are not actually nuts, but a legume like beans.
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Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. No one knows who actually invented it, but we know that the Incas made something similar.
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Half of the U.S. peanut crop every year is used to make peanut butter.
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It takes about 540 peanuts to make 12 ounces of peanut butter.
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94% of Americans have a jar of peanut butter at home.
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According to law, peanut butter must be made from at least 90% peanuts.
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is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
Such a wonder food must be difficult to make, right?
Wrong! Real peanut butter lovers know that you can make your own at home with as little as one ingredient – you guessed it. Peanuts!
You will need:
2 cups of shelled peanuts, raw or roasted
Suggested Optional Additions:
1-1½ tbsp of peanut, vegetable, or sunflower oil for a more spreadable peanut butter
½ tsp salt, or more to taste
1 tsp honey for a sweeter blend
Directions:
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Pre-heat the oven to 350, and spread your nuts a sheet pan. Cook until the peanuts are golden and glistening – the shine is from the oil released by the heat. If you've bought roasted peanuts or are using a different kind of nut you can skip this step, but I recommend cooking the peanuts anyway to release the oil.
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Pour the peanuts into a blender or food processor, and pulse for several minutes. If you want crunchy peanut butter, remove half a cup of nuts once they are finely chopped, then keep blending the rest. You'll notice the nuts go through several stages, starting with a coarse grain and then progressing to something resembling a super-thick peanut paste before smoothing out. This normally takes about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how much oil is in the peanuts. Remember to stop and scrape down the sides several times or it won't be evenly blended.
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Once the peanut butter is shiny and actually looks like peanut butter, stop and taste-test a small sample. At this point you can add the salt, honey, chopped peanuts, or other flavoring ingredients of your choice by pulsing a few times to blend them in.
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And you’re done! Transfer your peanut butter to an airtight container and store in the fridge, or eat it right away! You’ll notice that it isn’t as smooth as the peanut butter you get on the store shelves because there are no additives to prolong the shelf life, and you may have to stir the oil back in before eating.
Properly stored, homemade peanut butter can last up to two months – though if you are a true Peanut Butter Lover, this is unlikely!
Other variations:
Feel free to go crazy! This same recipe can be used to make other nut butters, or you can blend different kinds of nuts for more subtle flavor variations. Some other ideas include adding cinnamon, white or dark chocolate chips, cocoa powder (for chocolate peanut butter, yum!), seasonal spices, or even chili powder! *This recipe can easily be scaled up or down, but keep in mind the required minimum or maximum capacity of your food processor or blender.
Save this recipe to your Pinterest page for future reference and visit our Cuisine Corner board for ideas!
