This is my peanut butter treatise.
Back in 2007 when I gave up High Fructose Corn Syrup for Lent, and subsequently started eating more natural, healthier foods, I checked the ingredients of the brand of peanut butter that we usually bought. (JIF: MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.)
Around that time, we bought a jar of JIF natural peanut butter, which contained PEANUTS, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SALT, MOLASSES.
(It's in caps because I'm cutting and pasting from the website. Hopefully they won't mind.)
Well, then I started getting interested in organic foods, so I bought my first expensive jar of organic peanut butter. Around that same time, I decided I liked crunchy peanut butter better, only... none of the stores around here have organic crunchy peanut butter, which is really weird.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon the Best Peanut Butter Ever, made by a local place, even, Krema Peanut Butter made in Columbus, Ohio. I had never heard of the brand, but I picked up a jar, was curious enough to buy it, and never looked back.
Krema Peanut Butter contains the following ingredient: PEANUTS.
I kid you not.
You open a jar of Krema Peanut Butter and inhale, and oh. Peanuts. Fresh peanuts. I have never had peanut butter that smelled like this before. It's fabulous. You have to stir it, sure, but the trick is to refrigerate it--you stir once, stick it in the fridge, and never have to stir it again.
But since my office closed and we moved downtown, getting to Kroger to buy peanut butter is kind of out of my way. I eat a lot of peanut butter, you see. I go through a pound of peanut butter every two weeks. I eat it for breakfast and most of the time also for lunch. I like it plain and with jelly, depending on the bread. I've used it in bread, too.
So, reluctantly, I decided to sample a couple of brands that were available at the grocery stores I pass on the way home. (Yes, I realize I could get it shipped to my house, but the shipping cost is almost as much as the peanut butter itself. Although it's very tempting to order a 5lb bucket. I mean, that would be a little over a month's worth!)
So I bought Smucker's Natural peanut butter first. I can't seem to find the ingredients online for Smucker's peanut butter (good for JIF for posting ingredients and nutritional info on their website) but it wasn't that great. It was gritty, rather thick after stirring, and just didn't taste right at all.
When that ran out, I went back to the store and found Nash Brothers Trading Company Organic Peanut Butter on the shelf. This was interesting, because I'd never heard of the brand, and it was also my local grocery store, which has a teeny variety of organic products to begin with. So I spent $4-something, and figured it couldn't be that bad, right?
Ha.
I still have some left. Here are the ingredients: dry roasted organic peanuts, organic palm oil, organic sugar, salt.
You have to stir this initially, which I did with some difficulty. There was only a small amount of oil on top, the rest was pretty solid. But I managed, and I stirred, and I stuck it in the fridge and I ate it these past one and a half weeks, and now it's gotten to the point where I have to scoop some out, warm it up in the microwave, and then it's spreadable. Ridiculous!
This evening on my way home from work, I finally passed by Kroger. And I bought four jars of Krema Crunchy Peanut Butter. I am in heaven.
(Yes, I realize I could make my own. I may try it. Krema also sells bulk nuts. It would be fun to try and see how making it works. But honestly? I like supporting a fabulous nut company, and I love Krema Peanut Butter. I will never buy another brand of peanut butter again. They just aren't anywhere near the quality in taste, texture, and overall fabulousness.)
Back in 2007 when I gave up High Fructose Corn Syrup for Lent, and subsequently started eating more natural, healthier foods, I checked the ingredients of the brand of peanut butter that we usually bought. (JIF: MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.)
Around that time, we bought a jar of JIF natural peanut butter, which contained PEANUTS, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SALT, MOLASSES.
(It's in caps because I'm cutting and pasting from the website. Hopefully they won't mind.)
Well, then I started getting interested in organic foods, so I bought my first expensive jar of organic peanut butter. Around that same time, I decided I liked crunchy peanut butter better, only... none of the stores around here have organic crunchy peanut butter, which is really weird.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon the Best Peanut Butter Ever, made by a local place, even, Krema Peanut Butter made in Columbus, Ohio. I had never heard of the brand, but I picked up a jar, was curious enough to buy it, and never looked back.
Krema Peanut Butter contains the following ingredient: PEANUTS.
I kid you not.
You open a jar of Krema Peanut Butter and inhale, and oh. Peanuts. Fresh peanuts. I have never had peanut butter that smelled like this before. It's fabulous. You have to stir it, sure, but the trick is to refrigerate it--you stir once, stick it in the fridge, and never have to stir it again.
But since my office closed and we moved downtown, getting to Kroger to buy peanut butter is kind of out of my way. I eat a lot of peanut butter, you see. I go through a pound of peanut butter every two weeks. I eat it for breakfast and most of the time also for lunch. I like it plain and with jelly, depending on the bread. I've used it in bread, too.
So, reluctantly, I decided to sample a couple of brands that were available at the grocery stores I pass on the way home. (Yes, I realize I could get it shipped to my house, but the shipping cost is almost as much as the peanut butter itself. Although it's very tempting to order a 5lb bucket. I mean, that would be a little over a month's worth!)
So I bought Smucker's Natural peanut butter first. I can't seem to find the ingredients online for Smucker's peanut butter (good for JIF for posting ingredients and nutritional info on their website) but it wasn't that great. It was gritty, rather thick after stirring, and just didn't taste right at all.
When that ran out, I went back to the store and found Nash Brothers Trading Company Organic Peanut Butter on the shelf. This was interesting, because I'd never heard of the brand, and it was also my local grocery store, which has a teeny variety of organic products to begin with. So I spent $4-something, and figured it couldn't be that bad, right?
Ha.
I still have some left. Here are the ingredients: dry roasted organic peanuts, organic palm oil, organic sugar, salt.
You have to stir this initially, which I did with some difficulty. There was only a small amount of oil on top, the rest was pretty solid. But I managed, and I stirred, and I stuck it in the fridge and I ate it these past one and a half weeks, and now it's gotten to the point where I have to scoop some out, warm it up in the microwave, and then it's spreadable. Ridiculous!
This evening on my way home from work, I finally passed by Kroger. And I bought four jars of Krema Crunchy Peanut Butter. I am in heaven.
(Yes, I realize I could make my own. I may try it. Krema also sells bulk nuts. It would be fun to try and see how making it works. But honestly? I like supporting a fabulous nut company, and I love Krema Peanut Butter. I will never buy another brand of peanut butter again. They just aren't anywhere near the quality in taste, texture, and overall fabulousness.)
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