I store that type of peanut butter (also tahini) upside down before opening - also shake it well several times. Once open, I use one of those cocktail stirrer spoons to get all the way down to the bottom of the jar into any stiff bits. I have a collection of these & they are quite handy for lots of stuff. 1 thing I've noticed is that the less fresh it is, the more settled it becomes. I buy Trader Joe's organic peanut butter & it never has too much settling - I guess because their stores have such a fast turnover.

Not my photo - found on web:

A chore i'm not that fond of, lol. I have a few in the fridge right now. A raw cashew, a peanut, and an almond. All are just the nut, no additives. I keep them on the counter upside down before opening.

Then i've been adding, after a good stir, some coconut oil. Warmed to a liquid, not so much. Just a few tbsp. Then stored in the fridge. It seems to keep it better suspended so i don't have to re-stir when i want a scoop....late night spoon scoop snack.

Coconut oil gets very firm when cold so that helps.

I use a knife honer to stir tahini (which is similar - I do not generally keep peanut butter on hand), and I also store it upside down both before and after stirring it. I've bend spoons trying to stir tahini, but the knife honer is much stronger and will not bend under the pressure.

Interesting about fresher=less settling. I will ck out TJ p/butter. Also I will start storing upside down. Tks all

As sleevendog mentioned, keep natural peanut butter in the fridge. It won't separate as readily.

I also keep new jars upside down. Seems to help with the initial stirring - the dry mash on the bottom has moved to the top. I find that once it's stirred, it remains together for months on the pantry shelf.

Years ago I learned that the dry mash is put in the jars, then topped with peanut oil and never mixed together until we do it at home.

I agree regarding the Trader Joe's natural peanut butter. So much easier to stir up before refrigerating it. And I also think it's because of the quick turn-around. It doesn't stay on the shelves long enough to form the dreaded brick at the bottom.

I stir the peanut butter up with the long handle of a very sturdy wooden spoon. Before even trying to stir a new jar, I microwave it (without the top,of course) for about 20-30 seconds at the defrost setting. That seems to warm it up enough to make it more pliable. I repeat if necessary.

I also store the jar upside down, but it doesn't help much with the store brands because the sediment has settled into a firm mass.

I like Sleevendog's suggestion of adding a bit of coconut oil when mixing. I bet that would give just enough solidity to the newly mixed peanut butter to keep it mixed while refrigerated. I hope I remember to do that the next time I open a new jar. I'd like to try it with almond butter too.

Beware, shambo -- my aunt used to microwave PB just like you until the one day the jar and its contents exploded all over her microwave. :p

Yes, I know about the dangers. That's why I use the defrost setting (3) and for only 20-30 seconds at a time. I also don't do this more than 2 times, stirring between each microwave application. My goal is just to loosen the peanut butter enough to stir a bit. Not to make it actually fluid.

That's what she said too. lol!

My husband may end up having a similar experience. He microwaves everything, including leftovers, at the full power setting because he's impatient. I once caught him microwaving a brand new peanut butter jar. He dodged a bullet that time, but who knows about the next time. That's why I try to get the job done before we're actually out of the stuff. At defrost setting and just 20 seconds, there's not much danger. I also poke holes in the sludge to let the oil dribble down. That keeps the oil that settles at the top from over heating.