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I’ve a love-hate relationship with peanut butter. I’m speaking about the great things, the actual stuff, the stuff made with peanuts, perhaps a contact of salt, and not one of the extra processed add-ins like sugar, palm oil, and emulsifiers—the stuff that additionally, because of its minimal components, is susceptible to separating. That’s the place the hate is available in. I often give a jar my finest stir when opening it after which hope for the perfect, till I inevitably get near the underside and discover unappealing bits of dry nut butter.
Clearly, my stir-and-hope-for-the-best methodology is not nice, so I got down to discover the best choice for preserving nut butter mixed till the final unfold. I examined 9 generally touted strategies, and acquired arm exercise within the course of. Along with my outcomes, I even have some ideas for how one can revive any dry bits of peanut butter chances are you’ll come throughout regardless of your finest mixing efforts.
How We Examined
This testing requires beginning with peanut butter that is closely separated, so I went to the shop and grabbed 9 oil-laden jars of the identical model of pure peanut butter—as in peanut butter that solely comprises peanuts and salt. In my case, Smucker’s Pure Creamy Peanut Butter had separated essentially the most on my market’s cabinets.
The next are the variables I examined; in every case I let the peanut butter sit untouched for 2 weeks after mixing earlier than recording the outcomes.
- Mixing Strategies: One massive query is which strategies work finest for recombining the separated peanut butter. I examined a number of strategies, together with the great ole “jam a knife down into the jar and try and stir with out sloshing peanut oil throughout,” merely storing the unopened jar the wrong way up to see if the peanut butter might combine itself because the oil flowed upwards, in addition to a number of extra time-consuming methods that require transferring the contents of the jar to a different container to then be blended with a wide range of implements (wood spoon, whisk, immersion blender, meals processor).
- Storage Containers: After mixing, I examined storing the peanut butter in each the the unique jar in addition to wider vessels to see whether or not the form of the vessel and the quantity of floor space of uncovered peanut butter on high had any impact on how rapidly it re-separated.
- Jar Place: Along with flipping an unopened jar the wrong way up within the mixing exams, I additionally checked how a lot an impact jar place had on separation after mixing. Was it simpler to flip a jar the wrong way up after placing the recombined peanut butter again in it, or does it not matter at that time?
- Storage Temperature: I stored recombined jars of peanut butter out at room temperature and in addition within the fridge to find out what impact temperature has on the speed of separation.
Outcomes
Mixing Methodology
| Methodology | What It Is | How It Labored |
| Flip Jar Upside Down | Flip the unopened jar of separated peanut butter the wrong way up, the concept being that because the oil then flows upwards it’ll slowly combine itself into the thick peanut butter. | After two weeks, it ended up much more separated than when initially bought. |
| Knife in Jar | Utilizing a knife, try and recombine the peanut butter within the jar by plunging and stirring as finest as attainable with out spilling. | Not the perfect, returning again to its authentic separation after two weeks however solely separated barely within the first two days. |
| Wood Spoon | Switch peanut butter to a bigger container, then stir with a big spoon. | This didn’t appear to supply outcomes that had been a lot completely different than stirring with a knife within the jar itself, leading to a skinny layer of oil separation on the high. |
| Whisk | Switch peanut butter to a bigger container, then recombine with a whisk. | Didn’t work nicely: The peanut butter is simply too thick for the wires of a whisk. Solely after an exhausting arm exercise did I handle to mix the oil again into the dry peanut butter, and after two weeks it had separated once more. |
| Immersion Blender | Switch peanut butter to a container massive sufficient to just accept the blade finish of an immersion blender, then recombine with an immersion blender. | Additionally didn’t work nicely, as soon as once more because of the thickness of the peanut butter. An immersion blender isn’t device for this process. |
| Meals Processor | Switch peanut butter to a meals processor, then course of till re-blended. | This labored the perfect. After two weeks, the food-processor peanut butter principally nonetheless hadn’t re-separated (when mixed with a number of the methods mentioned under, it did not separate in any respect). Draw back is it means having to clean a meals processor after doing this. |
Jar Place
Some individuals declare that merely flipping a jar of brand name new, unopened peanut butter over works as a way of blending it again collectively, however as described above, my exams didn’t help that declare. There may be an argument for flipping the jars over after mixing the PB collectively. The thought is that by inverting the jar, the “backside” is at all times really on high, so that you keep away from thick peanut butter selecting the precise backside. This fashion, every time you flip it over to take some peanut butter out, you are dipping into the thickest half whereas nonetheless capable of entry the thinner peanut butter under.
In my exams, this was a worthwhile apply for storing well-blended peanut butter, guaranteeing it remained in a extra blended state.
Temperature
By chilling the peanut butter within the fridge, its oils congeal, which might gradual the speed of separation. However whereas my exams confirmed this to be true, the distinction between samples saved within the fridge versus room temperature weren’t so completely different to say it is a completely required step. When you do not thoughts working with chilly peanut butter (and in addition for those who make your means by way of a jar slowly and need to decelerate rancidity), the fridge is a good suggestion. When you want PB that is room temp, be at liberty to maintain your jar within the pantry—it will nonetheless be superb after the preliminary remixing.
Containers
Since a few of these exams necessitated transfering the peanut butter to a bigger container, I took benefit of that to additionally take a look at whether or not leaving the PB in that bigger container afterwards was higher than returning it to the jar. Following my testing, I’ve come to the conclusion that the container you permit the peanut butter in is much less vital to preserving it mixed than the strategy you utilize to combine it.
On the one hand, for those who’ve already eliminated the PB from its jar to combine it, it is perhaps simpler to go away it in a bigger vessel after that as an alternative of making an attempt to pack it again into the jar. On the opposite, a wider, air-tight container will take up extra room in your pantry or fridge than an everyday jar of peanut butter would.
Conclusion: The Finest Methodology of Mixing and Storing Peanut Butter
In case your aim is utter optimization with no concern for the labor concerned, then my outcomes are clear: Mix the nut butter in a meals processor, then retailer it in its authentic container the wrong way up within the fridge.
However this will not be the perfect methodology for everybody. In any case, dirtying the meals processor is a ache, and transferring the nut butter again into its jar may be messy for those who’re not cautious. You can cut up the distinction, utilizing the meals processor to mix the peanut butter after which switch the consequence to a bigger container for storage.
In any other case, the choice that requires the least quantity of effort is stirring the peanut butter within the authentic jar with a knife, after which storing it the wrong way up within the fridge. Simply take into accout it is arduous to mix it nicely, and also you’ll want to provide it one other good stir every so often, however that arguably is much less of a ache than having to cope with a bunch of soiled dishes.
What to Do With Dry Bits of Nut Butter
When you’re studying this with one (or perhaps extra…it’s me, I’m responsible) jars with bits of dried up nut butter hanging out in your pantry, concern not! This tends to occur when the peanut butter will get dry as a result of its oil separates out, leaving you with a thinner paste and subsequently drier chunks of peanut butter. When you now know the perfect methodology for stopping that from occurring from the beginning, you’ll be able to nonetheless save these different jars. Our culinary editor Genevieve recommends including in a couple of drops of impartial oil—primarily reincorporating what was extracted from the nut butter—to get it to stir, or tossing it in a blender if it is a bigger quantity.
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