Peanut Butter Problems
I love peanut butter! In energy bites, cookies, muffins, smoothies, with apples or celery, or right off the spoon!
Natural peanut butter to be more specific. You know the stuff that if you look at the ingredients list says: peanuts. No added salt, sugar or preservatives. It tastes the best, and is the best for you. The only problem I find with it, is that it is almost impossible to stir the first time that you open it.
I have tried shaking it, stirring with a spoon, knife and whisk. But all of them just result in most of the oil on the top of the jar spilling over the sides, leaving me with a hard lump of crushed peanuts at the bottom. It really makes cooking with peanut butter less than desirable and inconvenient. That is until my mother - in - law watched me struggle one day and asked "why don't you just pour it into a bowl and mix it that way?"
Now why after all those years of struggling had I never thought of that?! It just seems like common sense. Obviously I am lacking. Because yeah, it works like a charm. No mess. Evenly mixed. No waste!
So let me run you through the steps of how to get perfectly mixed natural peanut butter without a giant mess.
Gather your supplies:
Large Mixing Bowl / Measuring Cup (should be big enough that when you mix the peanut butter it doesn't spill over the sides
Hand Beater
Rubber Spatula
Carefully open the peanut butter jar and scrape into mixing bowl.
Mix peanut butter with hand mixer - start out slowly and gradually increase the speed, to medium. Mix until the peanut butter is smooth and a consistent texture throughout.
Using the rubber spatula carefully scrape the mixed peanut butter back into the jar. I would like to add that if you are planning on doing any baking with peanut butter, now is the time! It is already out of the jar and easy access for you!
Close the lid tightly and store upside down in your refrigerator to keep it from separating again.
This has changed my life, so I hope that it makes your a little bit easier too! Leave me a comment on your peanut butter stories!