You know how when you buy a jar of natural peanut butter, the oil separates out on top? And then you have to work your arm like a crank to stir it back in? Last week on her Spilled Milk podcast, Molly Wizenberg of Orangette shared a tip for making this task much easier on ourselves.
Molly's advice is to lay the jar of peanut butter on its side for a little while. The oil moves from being on the surface of the peanut butter to being slicked down the side of the jar. Then it becomes easy to slip the knife through the oil and start working it into the peanut butter.
Kinda brilliant, right?
Molly shared this tip during Spilled Milk podcast devoted entirely to peanut butter. She and her co-host Matthew Amster-Burton tasted their way through several varieties of peanut butter, and made some surprising discoveries along the way.
• Check It Out! Peanut Butter from Spilled Milk
Related: Make or Buy? Peanut Butter
(Image: Flickr member koocbor licensed under Creative Commons)
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Comments (19)
I was literally just complaining about stirring natural PB. Life changing tip.
I have also put it upside down for a while-this also works nicely.
I've done this, but does anyone else find that the oil leaks out a little when the jar isn't upright?
Our approach is to turn it upside down and leave it on top of the fridge, and then turn it once a day for 2-3 days. All good tips.
First-world problems! HA!
@QChan - my husband turns the jar upside down and puts a saucer/plate underneath to catch any leaks. Sometimes they leak, sometimes not (in our experience)
I usually just slide the knife in down the side of the jar to make a pocket for the oil, then tilt the jar to let the oil pour into it. Do this a few more times around the sides, and then stir-- it's easier to stir and keeps the oil from slopping out.
When I buy a jar, I immediately put it upside down in the cupboard for a few days, until I use it. The plastic seal will prevent leakage. When you take it out to use it, no stirring needed ever again, unless you don't use it for a month or so. Learned this from my upstairs neighbor!
My mom always opened the jar, emptied it into the KitchenAid bowl, gave it a stir with the paddle mixer, and put it back in the jar. Yes, you have to wash the mixer bowl, but it's so worth it to not have to work that oil in by hand.
@clampers - I was thinking that too! and laughing!
@clampers @zee-misMP! this entire blog is first world...in case you hadn't already noticed.
I just poke it a bunch all the way down with a butter knife (starting in the middle and then working out, including all the way to the sides of the jar), then start scooping up from the bottom with that same knife and mixing and folding. It's a little time-intensive, but it mixes so well that the pb can stay out of the fridge and still not separate much and it's not as hard on your arm as actually trying to stir it from the get-go.
And if you're careful, no leaky oil spilled everywhere. I should note that this works better when you have a glass jar, but will work just as well with plastic, you just have to be more careful about not tipping it around.
Two words: Hand mixer!!
Just put one beater in your hand mixer and mix the nut butter straight in the jar. Just make sure to hold on tight to the jar and start mixing slowly or you could have a big oil mess on your counter (believe me, I know).
Pop it in the fridge and the oil never separates again. Changed my life.
@Allie J... your mom is so smart. I'm totally doing that - I bet it's easier to spread, too w/all the air worked in.
I always just busted out a long iced tea spoon & dug in, then I store it in the fridge so it doesn't separate. For some reason, my natural PB doesn't get hard when it's cold, which is nice.
I microwave my PB for 30 seconds (esp after it's been in the fridge) to help make it easier to stir up.
I find a quick stir with a chopstick to be easier than using a knife in the jar.
My Kitchenaid with the dough beater is what I use; I get peanut butter in the big jars at Costco and dump one in the mixer bowl and turn it on low and in a minute or two it's mixed. Turning upside down, etc., doesn't work for the big jars.
I am a poke and let the oil run in before stirring type but I think about this every now and then...
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Natural_Goods___Hand_Cranked_Items___Natural_Peanut_Butter_Mixer___54322#54322
I dump it into a bowl, microwave for a minute or two, then stir--super easy and no peanut oil on the counter.