Maybe you’re like the Damsel was before she saw the light. Maybe you think there is something magical that makes peanuts into peanut butter–some special process taking elaborate equipment and people in white overalls. And that “natural” peanut butter, costing approximately $123456789, is something even more complicated to make.
Gather close, dear students, and the Damsel will show you the truth.
It’s easy to make your own peanut butter. All you need is:
- peanuts (The Damsel was striving for a Jiffy-like result, so she used roasted, salted peanuts, but you can use any type you like)
- oil (vegetable or peanut oil; olive oil may taste off)
- something to puree it, like a food processor
That’s it.
Acquire two cups of shelled peanuts. Tedium Alert: Shelling your own takes time. When the Damsel first attempted this, scavengers ate the peanuts as fast as she could shell them.
This got less and less fun, and she at last resorted to child labor in the form of her adorable nieces who just happened by at the right time. One must shell a goodly amount of peanuts to yield 2 cups.
Put the peanuts, along with about a teaspoon of oil, into a food processor with the blade in place. Crank it up and let it go for a couple of minutes or until you’ve achieved the smoothness level you’re looking for. The Damsel loves crunchy peanut butter. In case you were wondering.
You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor and have another go, although the Damsel did no such thing. If it seems too thick, add a bit more oil, but the Damsel begs you to do so in very small increments. It’s easy to get too much.
Depending on how badly you want to duplicate “store” peanut butter, keep in mind that commercial crunchy peanut butter is made by adding chopped peanuts to creamy-style peanut butter. This detail may be lost once it’s between two pieces of bread. Your mileage may vary.
Yield: about a cup.
You just made peanut butter! It’s that easy. Your celery can now be filled properly.
Keep it in the fridge, since it’s got no nasty preservatives. You may or may not need to stir it a bit before using.
