I am obsessed with peanut butter (any nut butter really) but there is nothing more annoying than having to open and mix up a new natural peanut butter jar. The oil from the top ends up getting everywhere on the jar, leaving it greasy. I have found that a knife doesn’t get everything from the bottom mixed to the top, and vice-versa.
Instead of dreading opening your delicious peanut butter, here are three tips to make your natural peanut butter experience even more enjoyable.
1. Store it upside down before you open it
Photo by Izzi Clark
When you get back from the grocery store, store your peanut butter upside down in the cabinet (or at least overnight if you want to use it sooner). This distributes the oil to the bottom of the jar. Once you go to mix it with a knife or spoon, everything will already be halfway mixed which will require less mixing. Just be sure not to store it upside down in the fridge, you don’t want any leakage.
2. Use an electric mixer
Photo by Annie Pinto, edited by Helen Poon
All you have to do is empty your whole jar of peanut butter into a bowl and then use a hand mixer (or if your fancy and have a stand mixer) to get all the oil blended well. Then, use a spatula to get it all back in the jar. This option leaves you with some more dishes to do but really does a quality job of incorporating everything. Plus, you get to lick the spatula!
3. Buy a natural peanut butter hand mixer
Photo courtesy of Lehmans.com
Yes, this is actually a thing. This nifty hand crank will thoroughly mix your peanut butter for you, all you have to do is screw on the top and crank away. This mixer will even clean the mixing rod as you pull it out of the jar.
There are many sizes for the hand mixer based on the size of the jar, which are listed on their website and they all run for $10 plus shipping. Be sure to measure your jar so you buy the right size. The only downside is you have to keep buying the same size jar to use the mixer. But on the plus, you can keep on using the crank and your peanut butter will be perfectly stirred every time.