Peanut Butter Recall

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

The peanut butter recall continues to spread.  This afternoon, while I was at work, my colleague got a phone call instructing her to pull a bunch more products, apparently in response to the latest round of recall news.

More recently, I visited La Vida Locavore…there’s more on the way.  The entire situation ain’t pretty.

FWIW, Reese’s peanut butter cups seem to remain safe, as the Reese’s people seem never to have bought anything from the supplier in question.

But jars of pb are now on the do-not-eat list.

So this is my public service essay.  How To Make Peanut Butter At Home:

I like Spanish peanuts, but really, any type will work.

If you buy unroasted/unsalted nuts, you will need to roast them.  Put them (no shells, please) in a roasting pan and toast, stirring frequently, in a 350-degree oven, until they are a nice brown shade & the peanut oil has come to the surface.  This will take about 10-15 minutes.

Let peanuts cool for a few minutes.

Put some peanuts in your food processor.  My food processor can only handle two cups of peanuts at a time (this info is in the book that came w/my processor).  If you are using unsalted peanuts, you may wish to add some salt.  Process, stirring down the sides of the processor bowl occasionally, until it becomes peanut butter.  (Taste for salt content: a little bit helps but you don’t want too much.)

I like Smucker’s Natural PB, & my recipe approximates that.  If you like Jif or Skippy or something, you may wish to add a bit of sweetener: molasses or honey or high fructose corn syrup.

But the only technology required here is: an oven & a food processor.  It’s easy & delicious to make pb at home.