lots of US peanut butters are “no-stir” by substituting some of the oil with basically a margarine-like fat (solid, hydrogenated oils replace some of the peanut oil so that the oil never separates and needs to be stirred in again)
If you use normal peanut butter, here are some tips I’ve found:
turn the peanut butter jar upside down so the lid is at the bottom where the solid peanut butter collects, and the oil collects at the “top” (which is now the bottom of the jar). This means when you open the jar and stir it, the oil is already at the bottom and you don’t have hard peanut butter stuck at the bottom that you can’t ever get incorporated
once you have opened a new jar and stirred it thoroughly, store the peanut butter in the fridge to make the peanut oil become more solid and doesn’t separate as quickly, and in my experience this prevents having to stir it again for the rest of the life of the jar
But I also just eat the no-stir hydrogenated peanut butter now because it’s extremely cheap and I’m unemployed.
That’s the saddest part. It’s cheaper to eat the manufactured factory food that they bugger around with than it is to eat healthy. What a cliff capitalism has led us to.
forever greatful the co-op by me has a fresh peanut butter machine, its only $2.99 a pound which isnt bad. At best the store brand US style PB is $2.50 a pound. Worth the 50cents imo, and It’s even a bit cheaper I save 10% by bringing my own jar!
Non-US peanut butters typically have only one ingredient (peanuts) and therefore you get peanut oil separating out that needs to be stirred in. American peanut butter (at least the ‘popular’ brands) tend to be so full of preservatives and shit that they hold their state.
it’s not the preservatives, it’s the hydrogenated oils that are added - basically they substitute some of the peanut oil that would separate out for oils that won’t separate (and stay hard, like a butter or like margarine)
Made from Roasted Peanuts and Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt.
Incorrect, hydrogenated is a synthesis artificial process that chemically alters them and turns them into dryer texture but it’s less healthy and more artificial. I avoid it.
The vegetable oils are saturated fats, which will mix with the peanut oil, but solidify at room temperature. That and the sugar are doing the leg work on keeping the peanut butter from separating. So yeah, saturated fats and sugar are unhealthy additives specifically for preserving the peanut butter. What exactly is your definition of a preservative?
The problem is that much of what Spain sells as peanut butter is built around the European expectation:
simpler ingredients
fewer sweeteners
“natural” separation accepted as normal
The EU keeps strict maximum levels for contaminants in foods, including aflatoxins. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets tight contaminant limits, and the EU’s own 2023 summary notes that maximum levels are set at strict levels considered reasonably achievable.
Aflatoxins are various poisonous carcinogens and mutagens that are produced by certain molds, especially Aspergillus species such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.
…are non-US peanut butters less viscous?
lots of US peanut butters are “no-stir” by substituting some of the oil with basically a margarine-like fat (solid, hydrogenated oils replace some of the peanut oil so that the oil never separates and needs to be stirred in again)
If you use normal peanut butter, here are some tips I’ve found:
But I also just eat the no-stir hydrogenated peanut butter now because it’s extremely cheap and I’m unemployed.
That’s the saddest part. It’s cheaper to eat the manufactured factory food that they bugger around with than it is to eat healthy. What a cliff capitalism has led us to.
forever greatful the co-op by me has a fresh peanut butter machine, its only $2.99 a pound which isnt bad. At best the store brand US style PB is $2.50 a pound. Worth the 50cents imo, and It’s even a bit cheaper I save 10% by bringing my own jar!
I have envy.
Non-US peanut butters typically have only one ingredient (peanuts) and therefore you get peanut oil separating out that needs to be stirred in. American peanut butter (at least the ‘popular’ brands) tend to be so full of preservatives and shit that they hold their state.
it’s not the preservatives, it’s the hydrogenated oils that are added - basically they substitute some of the peanut oil that would separate out for oils that won’t separate (and stay hard, like a butter or like margarine)
even the “healthy” no-stir peanut butters do this
Here’s the full list of ingredients for Jif:
Made from Roasted Peanuts and Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt.
https://www.foodsco.net/p/jif-creamy-peanut-butter/0005150024191
It’s not just peanuts but it’s not really “preservatives and shit” either.
Incorrect, hydrogenated is a synthesis artificial process that chemically alters them and turns them into dryer texture but it’s less healthy and more artificial. I avoid it.
That’s a bubbler leaking hydrogen while submerged in the oil, and it’s mostly a fancy word for margarine.
The vegetable oils are saturated fats, which will mix with the peanut oil, but solidify at room temperature. That and the sugar are doing the leg work on keeping the peanut butter from separating. So yeah, saturated fats and sugar are unhealthy additives specifically for preserving the peanut butter. What exactly is your definition of a preservative?
Preservative refers to a substance that inhibits spoilage, decay, discoloration or other drops in quality.
It’s one way to increase shelf life.
A stabilizer isn’t a preservative because oil separation doesn’t impact quality, shelf life or anything like that.
https://www.gamintraveler.com/2026/03/01/why-you-cant-really-find-american-peanut-butter-in-spain-and-most-of-europe/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin
Why do you call it “natural” separation lol
Gravity is a natural process. The oil is less dense.
And why “”