If you enjoy peanut butter, we suggest you make some yourself at home. It's easy, and will be free of all the preservatives that are added in packaged and canned foods. We tell you how...
What you will need
Shelled peanuts, around 200 grams, and a food processor. Yes, (primarily) that's it. Roast the peanuts in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, mixing every five minutes for even heating. Once that rich, roasted nut smell starts to fill your kitchen, you know that they are done. Allow the nuts to cool before you put them in the food processor.
Making the nut butter
Set the food processor on medium speed and process the peanuts. Initially you will only have a fine powder. However, just scrape down the sides and continue to process. As the oils release, in a few minutes, you'll have a smooth paste. The whole process takes around 10 to 12 minutes.
For the finishing touches
If you prefer, you may flavour your peanut butter with a pinch of salt, oil of your choice and some honey. A round in the processor will incorporate these flavouring ingredients well. You can also add a few drops of vanilla essence, maple syrup or cinnamon.
Storing tips
Pour the butter in empty jam jars and refrigerate. Sometimes, the oils tend to separate. All you need to do is mix the nut butter with a spoon.
Options galore
You can make nut butters from almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and walnuts. However, the time taken to roast and process each of these nuts will vary.
Health watch
Ideally, your choice of nuts should be the crispy variety, or you could soak nuts for 12-24 hours, then dehydrate, and then grind. This is to reduce the phytate content, which is known to put a strain on the digestive system. However, you can still make nut butter without soaking and dehydrating the nuts. Also, nutritionists suggest that you restrict your nut butter consumption to one serving per day.
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