A Brief History of Peanut Butter
smithsonianmag.com
A Brief History of Peanut Butter
1–10 of 57 posts
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#2Is it me or was that really weird? There were 2 bylines in what seemed like a single article. I understand why the bit about Carver was there - honestly if you had asked me I would have said he invented it; that he didn't was the most surprising thing in it.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#3Fun 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.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#4Is it me or was that really weird? There were 2 bylines in what seemed like a single article. I understand why the bit about Carver was there - honestly if you had asked me I would have said he invented it; that he didn't was the most surprising thing in it.
It's an article with a separately-written (and credited) sidebar in the print magazine.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#5Is it me or was that really weird? There were 2 bylines in what seemed like a single article. I understand why the bit about Carver was there - honestly if you had asked me I would have said he invented it; that he didn't was the most surprising thing in it.
It's pretty common to mention the fact that GW Carver did NOT invent peanut butter anytime the history of peanuts is discussed.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#6As 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 & colorless about the flavor -- not just missing sweetness but something else. On the other hand the less adulterated alternatives do taste a lot more like actual peanuts, which makes me dread to know what it is that I'm missing.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#7As 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've found the Whole Foods store-brand smooth peanut butter is a good happy medium between Jif and the organic stuff. It stays emulsified a lot longer than others, but has more roasty peanut flavor (and less sugar) than the cheap stuff.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#8As 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…
You're probably just noticing more salt in the processed stuff. Usually the only other additives are sugar and hydrogenated veg oil.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#9As 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've found the Whole Foods store-brand smooth peanut butter is a good happy medium between Jif and the organic stuff. It stays emulsified a lot longer than others, but has more roasty peanut flavor (and less sugar) than the cheap stuff.
It seems that palm oil makes a decent alternative to hydrogenation. My current favorite butter is Trader Joe’s Crunchy No Stir, which contains 90% roasted peanuts, powdered sugar (cane sugar and cornstarch), palm oil, and sea salt (in that order on the label). 3g total sugar (2 added) in one 2 tablespoon / 32g serving.
Re: A Brief History of Peanut Butter
#10Fun 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
Oh no, this is not available in Canada?