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A Brief History of Peanut Butter

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#31

Post by cecilpl2 »

seiferteric wrote: post #13
mesofile wrote: post #6

As a US native who otherwise mostly abstains from sugary processed foods, big-brand peanut butter is one part of my country's food culture that I absolutely cannot shake. I don't eat fast food or drink soda, but I must have a jar of Jif around at all times. I have tried every type of organic peanut butter and found them all more or less vile, mostly due to the oiliness but there's also usually something flat & colorl…

Considering most of my peanut butter consumption comes in the form of PB&J, I find that the jelly/jam provides more than enough sugar and I don't miss it at all in the peanut butter. Only downside for me is mixing the natural stuff, it can be quite a workout. What I discovered recently is storing your next jar upside-down for a week or so on the shelf will make it much easier when doing the initial mixing since the o…

Definitely do not do this if the jar is already opened, as the seal isn't perfect and you will end up with oil all over your pantry.

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#32

Post by ulrikrasmussen »

mesofile wrote: post #6

As a US native who otherwise mostly abstains from sugary processed foods, big-brand peanut butter is one part of my country's food culture that I absolutely cannot shake. I don't eat fast food or drink soda, but I must have a jar of Jif around at all times. I have tried every type of organic peanut butter and found them all more or less vile, mostly due to the oiliness but there's also usually something flat & colorl…

I got hooked on peanut butter during a 6 month stay in the US and have also noticed a lot of variety in the products available here (Denmark). I really dislike most of the products, but have found a discount brand that is now my favorite.

All of them are 99% peanuts, so I also wonder where the variety in taste comes from. My own theory is that it is a combination of the following: 1. How much the peanuts are roasted. 2. How much of the peanut ends up in the product. Some have a strong bitter taste that I suspect is from skins that haven't been properly separated from the peanuts. 3. Emulsifiers. 4. Oils and 5. Sugars.

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#33

Post by danbolt »

tlavoie wrote: post #25
mesofile wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be exactly the kind of thing I dread to know – this is the last item in my cupboard whose ingredients label I studiously avoid reading in order to keep enjoying it. But this is HN, so, let's see: INGREDIENTS: MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT. Oh, maybe molasses (and yes probably the s…

I usually buy Adam's, which would be the just-peanuts variety. I do find that it could use a little salt, so just add some. (Oh, and habanero powder out of a shaker, because nobody's peanut butter includes that.)

My parents would always buy salted Adam’s, and I remember finding the transition to unsalted difficult but satisfying.

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#34

Post by germinalphrase »

seiferteric wrote: post #13
mesofile wrote: post #6

As a US native who otherwise mostly abstains from sugary processed foods, big-brand peanut butter is one part of my country's food culture that I absolutely cannot shake. I don't eat fast food or drink soda, but I must have a jar of Jif around at all times. I have tried every type of organic peanut butter and found them all more or less vile, mostly due to the oiliness but there's also usually something flat & colorl…

Considering most of my peanut butter consumption comes in the form of PB&J, I find that the jelly/jam provides more than enough sugar and I don't miss it at all in the peanut butter. Only downside for me is mixing the natural stuff, it can be quite a workout. What I discovered recently is storing your next jar upside-down for a week or so on the shelf will make it much easier when doing the initial mixing since the o…

An “old fashioned peanut butter mixer” is one of the few single purpose items that I keep in my kitchen. It doesn’t do a complete job, but cuts the effort by 90 percent.

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#35

Post by 17a9f4a4f4e5b3f »

mesofile wrote: post #6

As a US native who otherwise mostly abstains from sugary processed foods, big-brand peanut butter is one part of my country's food culture that I absolutely cannot shake. I don't eat fast food or drink soda, but I must have a jar of Jif around at all times. I have tried every type of organic peanut butter and found them all more or less vile, mostly due to the oiliness but there's also usually something flat & colorl…

It took me months of living with someone eating peanut-only pb to get used to it, at some point I stopped thinking about how gross it was, and then I tried ye olde sugar pb again after a year and almost gagged. You totally can get used to it.

Some quality of life tricks to make it easier:

  buy multiple jars and store them upside down so gravity can help you start mixing

  mix initially (if you're able) by rapidly rotating the jar in your hand (twisting your forearm), this will get you 90% of the way

  finish off the mix with a knife

  keep the well mixed open jars in the fridge

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#36

Post by 17a9f4a4f4e5b3f »

gnicholas wrote: post #3

Fun fact: they remove the little nub in the middle of the peanut (called the "heart") before making peanut butter. Apparently the heart is more bitter than the two halves. https://youtu.be/4iUduCtx7cA?t=96

I'm quite thankful so much of How it's Made is available on youtube by Discovery, curious why they've even done that.

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#38

Post by cosmie »

cafard wrote: post #29

My favorite childhood breakfast was peanut butter on toasted Wonder Bread. This was probably about as bad as 1960s processed food got, Velveeta apart. But it sure tasted good.

My childhood was a few decade after that, but peanut butter on toasted white bread and Velveeta (+ Rotel[1]) were pretty much stables of my youth.

[1] https://www.ro-tel.com/products/original

Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter

#40

Post by castlecrasher2 »

nineplay wrote: post #39

Pet Theory: The reason peanut allergies are more prevalent in the US as opposed to other countries that consume peanuts is a difference in the way the body processes peanut butter as opposed to regular peanuts.

I'd guess that US peanut allergies are by and large due to the somewhat prevalent myth that pregnant mothers shouldn't eat peanut products.
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