Reading this forum over the last couple months has encouraged me to really look at what is in the foods I eat, even with those that seem healthy! Lots of people have talked about natural peanut butter and how much they love it. So, I decided to try it today.

Let me tell you...I'm not going back! The Jif tastes so artificial and weird compared to the natural stuff (just peanuts and salt). Yummy! I've been eating Jif peanut butter and 100% fruit spread sandwiches for lunch every day for the last couple months, and today's sandwich was definitely a significant improvement. Natural peanut butter is the way!!! Thanks!

I agree--as an ingredient, natural peanut butter is MUCH yummier I prefer reduced-fat peanut Skippy to eat plain, so I don't buy that anymore since I could eat the entire jar with a spoon in 2 days

I actually buy the kind without any added salt to also get rid of the sodium, and I don't taste a difference when it's on a sandwich or in a smoothie (which is my second most frequent way to use peanut butter).

Some natural peanut butter tips:

• If you find it annoying that the oil separates from the solid, mix and store in the refrigerator. Refrigerated, it should not separate nearly as much, if at all.
• If you find it annoying that the oil separates from the solid, and keeping it in your fridge makes it too hard to spread, then just let it separate and dump out the xcess oil on top. Who needs that oil, anyway? This may cause the last 1/2 inch or so at the bottom of the jar to be too solid to spread, but it can be worth it to avoid the messy mixing every day.

I use Smuckers natural and store it upside down in the fridge; when I'm ready to use it, it's ready to spread. I throw it away when it starts to get near the bottom (err ... I mean top, which is the NEW bottom -- you get my drift).

My DH uses the Skippy natural because he likes Skippy better, but we used to use the Simply Jif. He wouldn't touch the REAL natural stuff if I paid him.

Welcome to the ranks of natural peanut butter eaters! I eat Kroger Natural Crunchy and love it! Mainly eat it for breakfast on 1/2 7-grain bagel.

YUM!

I know what you mean Tara! I just bought natural peanut butter (well a different type of nut, but still a type of peanut butter) and I'm really enjoying it. I feel great knowing that what I'm eating IS actually healthy for me and not just salted fat.

One question though, does anyone know what 30g of peanut butter is? That's the serving size on my jar and I don't have a scale yet... I love eating it but it has 19g of fat per 30 grams of peanut butter.

Um, if it's a different nut, how can it be peanut butter?

Suggestion for the oil separation problem:

I buy Crazy Richard's natural peanut butter. As soon as I open it, I dump it out into a larger container, including the very bottom of the jar which can be quite stiff . I then stir it around without worrying about making a mess, since the containter is large enough, as opposed to the little jar! Once it is thoroughly mixed, I spoon it back into the original jar and into the fridge.

Now, if it gets too thick to spread after refrigeration, simply microwave it for about 30 seconds to loosen it up. Spread it or spoon some out and put it back in the fridge. Or you can take out what you want and only microwave that small portion, instead of the whole jar.

I'm also one who has saw people on here talk about how they love natural peanut butter. I decided to try it not too long ago and I LOVE it!

Jill....do tell more about your Peanut butter smoothies!!!!!!

Hope - I also put my natural pb into a larger jar, but I just leave it there, so it's easy to stir all the time. I keep in the cupboard - I eat is quickly enough so it doesn't get rancid (or hasn't yet! ). Oh, but I buy a "regular" sized jar, not a giant economy, esp as DH doesn't eat pb.

I use the grinding machine at the health food store. I just scoop some shelled/unsalted peanuts into the machine and hold a plactic tub under it and -Voila! Natural PB! I store mine in the fridge to keep it longer but I usually put it on hot toast so I don't have problems spreading it.

I remove some of the excess oil too.

I find that commercial brands are too sweet tasting now.

Like "cashew, hazlenut, almond, macadamia nut, etc." peanut butter. I just call them all peanut butter Although I guess it's technically "hazlenut butter", "almond butter", and so on.

I've made the mistake of trying to stir it in the original jar...what an oily mess! Never again!

I stir natural peanut butter in the original jar. Its not too difficult if I use a table knife, and keep slicing until it gets mixed. You can't go around in circles, just cut straight short strokes until it is mixed. Then, I store it in the fridge and it doesn't have to be stirred again. I don't particularly enjoy opening a new jar, so my hubby and I kind of try to pass it off on the other...