Peanut butter is one of those groceries that gets used so often that the rising price of a jar can really add up.
It goes into school lunches, sandwiches, baking and quick snacks, making it a regular item on many shopping lists.
But if you have peanuts at home, you can make your own peanut butter surprisingly easily.
The process is simple because peanuts already contain plenty of natural oil.
Once they are blended for long enough, they turn from crushed nuts into a smooth, spreadable butter without the need for added cooking oil.
Making it yourself also means you can decide exactly what goes into it. Keep it simple with just peanuts and salt, or add a little honey if you prefer a sweeter spread.
Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe
Ingredients
450g unsalted roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of honey (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread the roasted peanuts on a baking tray and warm them in the oven for about five minutes. This step helps release their natural oils. If your peanuts are already very well roasted, you can skip this step.
Place the warm peanuts into a food processor or powerful blender.
Blend until the peanuts become finely crushed. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides.
Continue blending. The mixture will first look crumbly, then turn into a thick paste as the peanuts release their natural oils.
Keep blending until the peanut butter is as smooth as you like it. This can take several minutes, depending on the strength of your food processor or blender.
Add the salt and honey, if using, and blend briefly to combine.
For crunchy peanut butter, reserve a small handful of peanuts, roughly chop them and stir them through the finished peanut butter.
Spoon the peanut butter into a clean, airtight jar and refrigerate.
Homemade peanut butter does not have the same processing and stabilisers as many commercial versions, so keeping it refrigerated is the safest approach for a homemade batch.
Always use a clean, dry spoon when serving it and keep the jar tightly sealed.
If the peanut butter develops an unusual smell, flavour or visible mould, discard it.
– IOL Lifestyle
