HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER

As a child I hated peanut butter. I never liked it until I was 26 years old and vacationing in Hawaii with my husband. Each morning I would wake up with a severe Jif creamy peanut butter craving...the "do not mess with me until I have had my coffee peanut butter" kind of morning. I finally found satisfaction when one of the hotel workers was kind enough to dig in the back of the kitchen and find a huge economy size jug of Jif creamy peanut butter (it was seriously like a foot tall)...I can only imagine the shelf life of that peanut butter...makes me shiver.

As I sat on the balcony, in the early hours of the morning, eating my bowl of Jiff creamy peanut butter with a plastic spoon and pondering my new love for it; it occured to me that maybe I was pregnant...8 months later my little girl was born, a natural peanut butter lover!

I have loved peanut butter ever since and have even managed to curb my addiction from Jif creamy peanut butter to something a little more healthy. This is it! I will never go back to store bought peanut butter; with homemade, it is much healthier and the flavor is intense!

Homemade Peanut Butter
Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

15 ounces (scant 2 cups) shelled and skinned roasted peanuts, recipe follows
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

Place the peanuts, salt and honey into the bowl of a food processor.


Process for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.


NOTE: Add more oil if a creamier texture is desired. I found it hard to spread (especially after being refrigerated) using this amount of oil but I preferred it that way because it is healthier and still tastes great.

NOTE: I buy already roasted peanuts but if you want to roast them yourself follow Alton's directions below.

Roasted Peanuts:
2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts*
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt
*Cooks note: Use Spanish peanuts for peanut butter as they have a higher oil content.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peanuts under cool water to remove excess dirt. Pat dry and place in a large bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt until well coated.

Place on 2 half sheet pans, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Once you remove the peanuts from the oven, let them cool slightly before eating. They will continue to "cook" and become crunchy as they cool.

If using peanuts to make peanut butter, remove shells and discard. Remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts.

Yield: Approximately 2 pounds roasted peanuts in shell

PRINTABLE RECIPE