Homemade Peanut Butter

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

I'm irritated by the high-cost of peanut-butter that isn't filled with oil, emulsifiers, and in one case icing sugar. The "good stuff" is roughly double the cost of the low quality stuff and as a family guy with kids we go through a lot.

Has anyone gotten into bulk nut buying and grinding of their own peanut butter? If so, do you use a special grinder or just a food processor? Do you have a good source for bulk nuts?

[the fixer]

I just do it with a food processor. It's easy, all it takes is the nuts. I just keep the food processor whirring until the peanuts turn into butter (which can take a while)

Different types of nuts have different amounts of oil in them, which will affect the quality of the butter. So far my only experience is with peanuts.

Spanish peanuts are what are usually used for making peanut butter. They have a high oil content and form a butter well.

Virginia peanuts don't have as much oil, so they don't form butter on their own; all you get is pulverized nuts no matter how long you grind. You have to add oil to them.

My favorite peanut butter is a 50/50 mix of Spanish and Virginia peanuts. This forms an excellent butter with a color and texture very similar to store-bought, but it doesn't separate.

[the fixer]

These are the Virginia peanuts I use, the cheapest price I've seen: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Oak-Gourmet-Virginia-Peanuts/dp/B001EO6B7C/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1358814785&sr=8-6&keywords=peanuts

The downside to these is you have to roast them yourself (but they taste really good when they're fresh-roasted!) and they have skin on them that has to be removed. This is a tedious, time-consuming and somewhat messy operation, but if you have kids you should be able to draft them into skinning the nuts for you after they're roasted.

[153]

I've seen huge containers of "gourmet" roasted peanuts for cheap at home goods. Usually a torn label or other cosmetic defect.

Also- Citicards are doing 5% cash back at housewares stores.

[James]

I get 25lb boxes of peanuts at the co-op and use a food processor. It works very well and produces great peanut butter. We did break one cheap food processor after a couple years when we first started, but then we got a decent processor and it has been working well for a few years, so that might be a consideration. But just start with whatever food processor you have and get a new one if it breaks.

[spider1204]

No idea about making the peanut butter, but I just recently purchased 25 lbs of peanuts online, with shipping it came about to be $2/lb.  I've just been seasoning mine and eating for snacks, but I'll have to try making some peanut butter now.

http://www.nutstop.com/nuts/peanuts.html

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info; especially about the virgina/spanish mix. I'm excited to give it a try this week.

[kolorado]

I made homemade pb once in our blender since we don't have a food processor. It was pretty gritty but good. Peanuts are so dadburned expensive that I just can't see the savings to buying a new machine and paying $5+lb for nuts to make butter. I can get a jar of organic natural pb at Walmart for $5.
I'm with you on how expensive most natural pb is though. You're in Canada so you won't have this brand but for the benefit of the US residents, I buy Kroger natural pb(King Soopers markets). It's just peanuts and salt. Regular price is around $3.50 jar but I stock up when the price dips below $2.50 a jar. I was super lucky last month to get a coupon card for $1.90 jar for as many jars as I wanted to buy over the entire month of April. They only keep 10 or so jars on the shelf so hubby has been stopping after work and getting as many as he can at that price.
We go through tons too, 2-3 jars a week. We recently had a short lapse in our supply of the good stuff since it hadn't been on sale in a while so I bought a large jar of Jiff natural to get us to the next sale. Hubby and I were grossed out by it. Everything from the dusty color to the shortening-like texture and cloying sweetness was disgusting. I know it's not really "natural" but it does avoid corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Next time I'll just pay regular price for the stuff we like. ;)

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

We lived in Denver for a while and the COL in Calgary is ~20-30% higher IMHO. A 1kg jar of Adam's PB costs $9 and a 2kg jar of "nuts + oil + ?" costs $8. I mean, in the grand scheme of life, this is a very small concern; but on a philosophical level it irritates me.

I actually did some calculations last night when I couldn't sleep:
On average we buy 1kg of peanut butter every two weeks = $234 per year, 26kg of peanut butter
Cost of 26kg of peanuts ( and assuming there is minimal mass-loss in the crunching to butter) = $72 + shipping

So even if I spend $50 on a new grinder we're coming out ahead.
The next phase would be to set up a peanut butter coop with other parents in the neighbourhood, buy the nuts wholesale from a grower and drive the cost even lower... but that's probably not necessary (c:

[Cecil]

Where do you live that peanut butter is so expensive?

I can always get a 1kg jar of the store-brand natural stuff for $5. Even if I buy peanuts at $2/lb, I still only save $0.50 per jar. Not worth it.

[the fixer]

The main reason I make my own is I can't find good natural peanut butter that meets my needs. I use PB in granola bars so separation of the oil is unacceptable; that rules out all the organic ones for some reason. I've seen some jars of Maranatha that don't separate but they're expensive and my usual grocery stores don't sell them.

It's also easier from an inventory perspective to stock up on peanuts. Raw nuts last practically forever. So if I'm unexpectedly running low on PB I can just roast some nuts and make more instead of having to make an extra trip to the store.

Without those considerations, I probably am not saving much by making my own.

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

Where do you live that peanut butter is so expensive?

I can always get a 1kg jar of the store-brand natural stuff for $5. Even if I buy peanuts at $2/lb, I still only save $0.50 per jar. Not worth it.

I know... it's bonkers. Which store do you shop at that has the $5/kg store brand?

[Cecil]

Where do you live that peanut butter is so expensive?

I can always get a 1kg jar of the store-brand natural stuff for $5. Even if I buy peanuts at $2/lb, I still only save $0.50 per jar. Not worth it.

I know... it's bonkers. Which store do you shop at that has the $5/kg store brand?

The President's Choice brand at Extra Foods and Superstore is usually under $4 for a 750g jar.

[superheropunk]

PB is my lunch M-F when working.

Recently too, I have been concerned with all the added extra's of Skippy, Peter Pan, etc. and during my research learned about almond butter (since your talking about making peanut butter) and there are many great receipes online for almond butter. Coconut Almond Butter sounds pretty good but if your trying to reduce cost then maybe not the way to go.

It is suppose to be better for you...

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

The President's Choice brand at Extra Foods and Superstore is usually under $4 for a 750g jar.

Ah ok. The only PC Branded peanut butter at my local Superstore has a weird texture and a wack of oil in it.

PB is my lunch M-F when working.

Recently too, I have been concerned with all the added extra's of Skippy, Peter Pan, etc. and during my research learned about almond butter (since your talking about making peanut butter) and there are many great receipes online for almond butter. Coconut Almond Butter sounds pretty good but if your trying to reduce cost then maybe not the way to go.

It is suppose to be better for you...

Almond butter is great, my wife loves it. We don't go through it at the same speed so I'm not motivated yet to make my own (c:

[James]

Almond butter is great, my wife loves it. We don't go through it at the same speed so I'm not motivated yet to make my own (c:

I agree, I love the stuff.  I don't make or buy it much because I already eat tons of almonds whole, but it's definitely good stuff.  :)

[Hotstreak]

Quite a few stores in my area sell peanut butter strait from the grinder for a few bucks a pound.  They keep these things hidden away.. one is tucked in a corner by the 5g water re-filler, and the other is in the natural food section (the other natural peanut butter is with the Jif!).  It's a large container full of nuts, and when you flip a switch the grinder turns on and peanut butter flows out into a plastic tub in your hand.  Ingredient:  peanuts, not sure what kind.  They also have one next to it, ingredients: almonds.

Personally it's too much work to scrub nut butter off food processor blades and the bowl.

[MtnGal]

This looks like it's all been covered, but it is super easy to make any nut butter at home. Just through in the food processor and run. If you're using nuts with lower fat content, I would just add in a little melted coconut oil until it gets to the right consistency. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it should stay well mixed in the butter. I would still refrigerate it if you want to avoid constantly mixing it up. I've used this for peanut, almond and cashew butter, as well as chocolate cashew butter by just adding some chocolate chips.

As far as buying them in bulk, I generally wait until I see larger bags on sale at the store. I have looked online but nothing found yet. Buy the unroasted kind (cheaper) and throw in the oven at 350 for 10-30 minutes to roast them up for better flavor.

[racherinh]

I know some people already mentioned almond butter, but I wanted to add a few things. We prefer almond butter to peanut butter (I think its a bit healthier, too, and definitely has fewer pesticides), so we get 2lb bags of almonds at the indian food store for much, much, less than other places. We roast them, and then grind them in the food processor with a little bit of salt. The thing about almond butter is you have to grind it for a while before it turns to butter. It starts out looking grainy like pie crust, and there is a strong temptation to add extra oil, but you just have to keep grinding. All at once the cell walls break down and the oil gets released, and it is the most beautiful creamy spread a person could want.

[Left]

sesame butter is good too, though almond is still my favorite

Last year I also tried pumpkin seed butter since they were cheap after halloween, turned out okay but the taste didn't suit me

I like cashew butter too but it is a bit salty, like peanut butter