Why keep PB in the fridge? Makes it seize up, hard to spread. Same with Nutella, I'd say.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? I don't, never did. I buy only natural peanut butters that the oil floats on top of. Once the oil is stirred in, it stays stirred in. The PB is soft and easy to spread.

I don't keep that luscious Nutella in the fridge, either, but I can never finish a whole jar. No kids at home anymore.

By the way, it makes me furious that they charge extra for natural PB. First, they remove the oil to sell it to me in a bottle, then they pour a little of the oil back on top of the peanut mash and call it "Natural" Peanut Butter! And to prove it to me that it's natural, they make be stir it myself! The Noive!

Just have to comment because after nearly a year of keeping Nutella out of my home I bought a big jar at BJ's on Monday. Tuesday morning I tossed what was left of it into the trash.

I am pretty (make that very)disciplined when I put my mind to eating foods in balance. But Nutella is the one food that I can't stop eating until I finish the jar. Every time I come near the kitchen I'm drawn to take another spoonful.

I don't usually love very sweet things, but something in it calls to me - the texture, the hazelnut/chocolate combo. I don't know. I'm not even that crazy for chocolate. Strange..

I've never refrigerated peanut butter. Organic or freshly ground nut butters might need refrigeration, but I could never stand them, I always buy commercial peanut butter.

Here's what the Jif site says: Do I need to refrigerate Jif? In the first three months after opening, Jif doesn't require refrigeration. If your family doesn't gobble Jif up by then, you may want to refrigerate the peanut butter to help prevent flavor loss.

And another site Commercial varieties require no refrigeration, can be kept up to six months after opening, and unopened jars can be stored up to one year in a cool, dark location. Peanut butter is not a good candidate for freezing.

My daughter buys Nutella all the time and even shipped some to Iraq for her husband and he has no way to refrigerate anything. His peanut butter and Nutella do just fine.

I buy 'natural' PB, and keep it in the fridge only to keep it from separating after mixing in the oil. We don't eat it often, and it it's not refrigerated, it will eventually start to separate. It may be because it's always very warm in the kitchen. When I do use it, if I don't have time to leave it on the counter to soften, I remove the lid and microwave it for 10 seconds or so to soften.
Nutella? I've never tried it, been afraid to. I would probably eat the whole jar myself!

Why keep peanut butter in the fridge? I never knew I had to until I started buying all natural peanut butter. On the cap it says "Oil separation naturally occurs with this product. Stir fully before use. Refrigerate after opening." So I thought this stuff had no preservatives & that's why it needed to be kept in the fridge. I plan on making my own peanut butter in the future. Can I leave it in the cupboard too? Al

Al -

Peanut butter is one of those foods that's so simple to make at home, once you do it, you're hooked. I use a food processor, a little bit of coconut oil, and occasionally a little agave nectar or salt, but those are optional.

It needs to be refrigerated AND stirred. Check out the handy gadget sold at Lehman's at the link below.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Lehman's - Natural Peanut Butter Mixer

I DO keep PB in refrig. Don't spread it. Just eat it with a spoon.

I keep my current favorite, Cream-Nut, made locally by Koeze's, in the refrigerator. The ingredient list says Virginia peanuts and sea salt. That's all, and it will get rancid if I don't gobble it all down.

My "other" peanut butter is Honey Roasted Peter Pan, it sits in the drawer of my desk at work for months with no discernible change in flavor or texture.

Nutella? Love the stuff, if I have a jar I'll just keep putting it on graham crackers until it's gone. I'm disciplined enough to have one, but it's one every day, until the jar is gone.

Annie

Thanks Grainlady! I have made homemade peanut butter before and we loved it. I just don't have patience to do it all the time. Interesting gadget! I usually use a long butter knife to do the job. Lots of work but I love peanut butter so it's worth the time! LOL

Glanda, that's exactly what I do... eat it with a spoon! LOL

Al

Check this out:

http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/02/top-10-reasons-nutella-is-better-than-a-boyfriend.html

dcarch

LOLOL Dcarch!

Nutella

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutella