Making Peanut Butter from Salted Roasted Peanuts

I absolutely love Peanut Butter OH is not so keen; I like it crunchy and smooth, and I also love it for Satay Sauce. It is very much a favourite.  As an aside, I also keep a couple of jars of peanuts on my Pantry to snack on when the fancy takes me.  Peanuts something you love or hate.  I love them.  I know I am lucky in this respect.  Not everyone is tolerant of them.

I am looking even more and more to not buying in ready-made prepared items where I can, preferring to buy base ingredients and make things myself, not only for a matter of cost, but also of quality.

I appreciate I have more time than most, however, I have been making things myself for many years also whilst holding a very demanding full-time job as a Legal Secretary, so I appreciate "time" is precious when you are working hard full time.  I tended to have down-tool sessions in order to accomplish certain projects, where only those items were dealt with.  It worked for my household and is something that I still implement to this day.  It also depends on how many pennies you have in your purse as to what you can do as well. I have experienced both "hard times" and "wealthy times" and you "cut your cloth according to your kilt", so I do know what it is like. If we have a roof over our heads, food in our belly and heat" we are indeed rich.

Anyway, I digress.  As so many of you regular readers will know I am passionate about preserving.  There are many different forms of preserving, but not many appreciate that there are short term preserves as well, usually suitable for keeping in the fridge if they last that long. Peanut Butter is a short-term preserve which can be used in baking, with Granola, on bread, in cakes and cookies, in milk or protein shakes or plant/fruit shakes, as a base for a homemade Satay sauce, spread on bread. It is also very good for you.  We should all be having some nuts in our diet if not every day at some point during the week, whether that be in the form of snacks, in baking or cooking or in Peanut Butter.

I have done some research on the Internet and have read several posts and recipes relating to this. There are recipes for using pre-bought salted peanuts using no oil, there are recipes for unsalted roasted peanuts where you add your own salt. It does not matter how it is made, it will if you make it yourself need to be kept in the fridge.

Now that my Food Processor is operational again, I have set too and had a go at making my own Peanut Butter.  Sometimes I think you learn more by actually playing and having a go at making your own Peanut Butter and messing with it so that you get the texture you want, smooth, lightly crunchy or a bit crunchier. It has been a learning curve. Now it is made, I can use this when the fancy takes me. I like it.

I will probably incorporate it into my breakfast routine somewhere down the line.  Also, this will be what I class as a short-term fridge preserve which will need to be stored in the fridge after making.

Some recipes indicate to add oil to the mixture and to make sure that the Peanut Butter has a layer of oil over it, others stipulate unsalted nuts, others, like to use salted nuts.  I think it boils down to your own individual likes and dislikes and wants or needs and ethos.  I can see the need for a little oil to be added to the top of the jar, to keep the air out, but not necessarily to incorporate within the Peanut Butter itself.

For my first batch, I have sourced some of the Co-Op's own Honest value brand (their economy brand) salted peanuts which I paid 90p per bag for.  There is approximately 200g a bag and I used two bags.  

You might be able to get your base Peanuts cheaper elsewhere, I am just working with those items that I have easy access to. However, I do hate paying through the nose for items, especially if they can be made easily at home, with the aid of a food processor, salted peanuts, maybe a drop of oil, and a minimum amount of time.

In essence, I emptied the 2 x 200g bags of salted Peanuts into the food processer and whizzed them up reasonably finely as I was going for a smooth mix for this little batch as I want it for a breakfast smoothie of a morning. 

I then pulsed them and they did not seem to be coming together as I had hoped so I did add about a tablespoon of sunflower oil to the mixture and that seemed to do the trick. 

I basically then sterilised an old Salsa jar and lid and then added the blended Peanut Butter to the jar, wiping the rim as I went until it was all neatly incorporated.  I have added a little oil to the top.  This will then be stored in the fridge.

Taste test; 

I like this.  Depending on your taste buds you might need to add a little more salt to the mixture, but that is down to personal taste more than anything else. Also, might need to add a little more oil, but not too much.  I would err on the side of caution as to whether to add oil or not. It is a slightly different texture to bought Peanut Butter and a little thicker.  Making stuff at home though for yourself is all about the "tweaking" and playing around until you get something just as you want it.

Looking forward to a smoothie in the morning for breakfast.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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