Foodie Friday: Homemade Peanut Butter

Sometimes food surprises me. Once when I was trying to make whipped cream as a youngin’, I overbeat the cream. And it turned into butter. Butter! How magical is that?

I recently felt a similar sense of awe when I made peanut butter. In spite all I’ve read about how homemade peanut butter tastes just like a good natural peanut butter, I was convinced that must be an exaggeration. Turns out, it’s not. And making it is beyond easy.

Homemade Peanut Butter

• 2 cups bulk peanuts, unshelled
• Salt to taste

1. If your peanuts haven’t been roasted, put them on a baking tray in the oven at 350 degrees until fragrant, about 15 minutes
2. Let peanuts cool
3. Place peanuts in a food processor, cover, and blend. Keep blending until the mixture looks shiny and smooth; it will go through a number of phases: choppy, grainy, a giant ball, and eventually the creamy spread you are looking for. The processor will get warm through this step. I gave mine a break now and then to let it cool down.
4. Add salt to taste, blending to incorporate. (Note: salt really makes the peanut butter pop, but be careful not to add too much. I did that the first time and it was gross.)
5. Store in an air-tight container.

I’ve come across mixed messages about whether or not to refrigerate this. My mind says no, since regular PB is fine for the shelf. But then my mom and sister-in-law scared me and I ended it up refrigerating it.

This stuff is delicious and quite cheap compared to store-bought peanut butter. I even used it in my Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting for some cupcakes and the result was out of this world. Spread it, dip in it, eat it right out of the jar…you won’t be disappointed.