I am not talking about the “natural” peanut butter that mainstream PB makers have started making, the stuff you don’t have to stir. I mean the real deal that has the layer of oil on top that you do stir into the peanut butter layer below and then keep in the refrigerator. The brand I buy has only peanuts and salt listed as the ingredients. One can even get it at a great price at Whole Foods (of all places!).
I keep it on the middle shelf of my fridge with a friendly label to let everybody else in the house know that the PB belongs to me:
The only drawback to natural PB is that it eventually hardens in the fridge to a clay-like consistency thus making it impossible to stir. I believe one has three options when faced with this situation:
1. Sell it to a mason for use as mortar.
2. Scoop it out of the jar and use it as sculpting clay. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a giraffe made out of natural PB.
3. Salvage it for its original purpose. (Hint: Choose this option.)
Naturally, (Get it, natural? Ha! I kill me.) you want to salvage what you have left, and you want it to be soft and spreadable (please, no comments from the peanut gallery).
Of course, to save it, you need some heat to melt it down while still trapped in the jar. The microwave is not an option. Besides any remnants of the foil seal, the microwave will be too hot and will melt the plastic too. I learned this at a young age when I put one of those bear-shaped honey containers in the microwave to break down some crystallized honey. One minute and thirty seconds later I opened the microwave to find that poor ol’ Winnie the Pooh’s head was melted off . Oops.
Fear not, you can still get the most out of the PB you have left! Simply fill a 5” deep pot, pan, or other kitchen container with very warm tap water. Leave your PB jar in the standing in the water for a few minutes and when you come back you will have restored the PB to its ooey, gooey self!
Stir it and put back in the fridge and you are all set.
Of course, this still can’t bring back that poor honey bear’s head from all those years ago. Poor, silly ol’ decapitated bear.
Talk to you soon!
meatlessman@yahoo.com
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