I've got mine, 4 BIG jars so far. Glenda, got yours??

Still, when you compare the price per serving to most other protein foods, peanut butter is STILL going to cost less than other options. Even if the price doubled, a serving would be cheaper than eggs, meats or most cheeses. So I imagine we'll all still buy it.

If you're buying now for Christmas use, I'd recommend storing the unopened jars in the freezer, to prevent it going rancid before you use it.

Wonder if almonds are affected? I mostly use almond butter for everything these days.

anyone else used to the large econ jars from costco? well no longer do they sell the double 3 pound jars...now it's down by a 1/3 and same price, sigh...maybe the dorught already hit?

Azzalea...really? I would have never thought to freeze it...do you? does it thaw out ok? cause I really am buying it today but was going to hide it so hubster and kid don't use it before the first of December...it's the only Christmas stuff I make anymore!! I'll have to do it on the sly cause hubster constantly accuses me of freezing EVERYTHING!! I used to freeze milk, and it made him so mad...so now if we run out...(and it always happens when I'm making mashed potatoes 5 minutes before we sit down for dinner)..he has to go get it..LOL

Liz, what are the buckeyes you make? sounds interesting....

Liz, one of my good friends makes Buckeyes at Christmas every year and always gives me some. They are my favorite!!!!!!

bigack, they are basically a peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate that hardens over it. They are SO good.

Isn't there a pretty long expiration date on peanut butter? I would check that. Yes, you could freeze it but if you don't have to, you could use that space in your freezer for something else. I know I am always running out of room in my big freezer. Love buckeye balls.

Sue

I love peanut butter. I'll go buy a jar today, tho I have a half-full jar in the house. My Mom (who passed away this year at 87) had an experience with peanut butter. One store had two jars for 5, so she went and bought 2. then she saw another store ad and they had the same special, so she got 2 more. What does an 87 YO need with four jars of peanut butter? I really don't think I ever saw her eat any. Even when I was a kid, she ate ham and cheese sandwiches. She was a food hoarder, had shelves full of stored food in the basement. It went back to the 1970's , when Dad was unemployed for several years. Mom got in the habit of buying and storing food. I'd go in the basement and just gaze-she had bottles of ketchup that had turned brown. After she died, my brother cleaned it all out. He found frozen strawberries in the freezer dated in the 1960's, and frozen chickens dated ten years ago. All of it went in the garbage. Pity.

I noticed peanut butter seemed high when I bought it last week! Unless you are buying all natural, I wouldn't freeze it. Its dated July 2013. I guess I'll buy another before the next price hike. Thanks for the info! Glenda-I just came back from Dairy Queen. They have a Nutter Butter blizzard!

Bigack,
Here is the recipe I got from a neighbor about 40 years ago. I had never heard of them, and I thought she was a genius for making them! I've made them many times, now my DGD makes them at Christmas.

One of our Ohio peeps can explain why they are also called Buckeyes.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

1ý lbs 10X sugar
2 sticks butter (can use oleo)
1 pint of peanut butter
1 large bag chocolate chips
ý bar paraffin

Combine sugar, butter and peanut butter and mix thoroughly. Shape into balls the size of a chocolate covered cherry. Place on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet and put in the freezer for 10 minutes or longer.

Melt chips and wax in top of double boiler. Stick toothpick into ball and dip into chocolate. Place on wax paper and cover hole on top by swirling on a dab of chocolate. Keep in fridge.

Sue

Liz--sorry I didn't get back to you--but was at the dentist getting a crown.

Anyway, if you have the room, peanut butter freezes amazingly. You won't notice any difference when it's defrosted. Some years back, I had a bunch of coupons for free peanut butter (they had a short expiration date), so I bought it all and tossed in the freezer. Think we ate it for a couple of years. Peanut butter, I find, goes rancid pretty quickly these days, if just stored in a cabinet (I keep the open PB and Almond butter in the fridge for that reason).

You don't cover the hole! That's what makes the candy look like a buckeye! Yes, I'm from Ohio. A buckeye is a shiny brown little ball that falls from a buckeye tree. Not edible except by squirrels or such. About the size of a black walnut. The candy ones I've made tell you to swirl the peanut ball in the melted chocolate and then take another toothpick to push it off the stick. They are a family favorite.

I've had PB stored for over a year ... perhaps more like 2 years? ... and it didn't get rancid.

If it's really warm, I try to keep it in a cooler place, e.g. basement. Haven't put it in fridge ... and not in freezer.

I have a couple of jars, maybe three, of upwards of 2 lb. size ... guesss I'd better go get some more.

o j

We have had pb that got rancid and you couldnt eat it. Now I put it in the fridge or maybe in the freezer to make sure it doesnt happen if I have to much on hand.

Sue...your recipe is the same one I begged a passenger to mail me who brought each crewmember a plate of them at Christmas some 30 years ago...I grew up in Indiana and had never had them until that sweet woman brought us all a plate...I love reese's cups and these are even better!! the only thing I do different is I mix them up and stack them on foil covered cardboard in my garage frig overnight and then use a Crockpot to melt the chocolate/paraffin the next day...I burn the chocolate if I even come close to a double broiler! I put some in the freezer last year and took them out about March and they were great...My co workers love them!!

Thanks for the tip about freezing the peanut butter Azzalea!! I hid it in the back of the freezer so hubster wont razz me about it!!

Right - the undipped circle of peanut butter is supposed to remain - to resemble a buckeye. However, I've learned something! I always thought that the "buckeye" they're supposed to look like is a buck's (male deer's) eye! Didn't know it was the nut of a tree. :-)

Ah, the lowly peanut. I remember reading a book in grammar school about genius George Washington Carver, who discovered hundreds of uses for peanuts. Then our president Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer. I went to my local store today and bought one jar of Peter Pan roasted honey creamy peanut butter. For breakfast I dipped apple wedges in PB. Delicious! But the peanut butter did cost $2.99. It had been around two bucks. And I must end with a funny story about my late hoarder Mother, who bought 2 jars of peanut butter because it was on sale 2 jars for $5. Then she went to another store that had the same deal and got 2 more. What does a blind 87 year old woman with no teeth need with 4 jars of peanut butter? In all my life, I never ever saw her eat peaniut butter. Her hoarding went back to the 1960's , when Dad was unemployed and she had to feed a family of six.

DH loves peanut butter sandwiches!!!!

We'll be getting some this weekend...one of our store has it for $2.88 for a kg, so I guess that's the best price it'll be for a while.

I had never thought freezing it would be okay. Freezer space is a little snug, but I should freeze some anyway. Although it gets eaten up quickly enough we've never had it go rancid.

Speaking of.....I've never had oil go rancid. Have you?? I've seen people on tv say we should only keep those jugs of canola, vegetable, oil etc for 3 months. My bottles on the counter don't go funny.

I had a bad oil experience some years ago. I bought a humongous size of oil, but had never had it go bad, so it sat out all the time. I decided to make muffins for the secretaries at school and took some for my coffee break, too. When I bit into that lovely muffin, I could taste "old oil". They had already had their break, and when I called them to apologize, they lied and said how good they were!! Nice girls, but you couldn't believe them.

I've had some go rancid - bad news!

The price is up, here - I was used to getting a little over 2 lbs. for about $3.00, sometimes as low as $2.50, but last Sunday the store brand at Giant Tiger (discount) was over $3.00 ...

... and the Kraft-y stuff was over $5.00!

Oh, my poor, aching, frugal, peanut butter-lovin' heart!

I have about three jars on hand, some something over a year old ... and more than double that of various kinds of jam.

Looks as though I'll have to live somewhat longer.

ole joyful