Homemade Peanut Butter

As part of our journey to better health, we gave up legumes a while back. Giving up beans was quite easy, but one legume in particular was more difficult for us to let go: PEANUTS. We were on the fence about peanuts for quite some time. I've read that peanut butter can be great for weight loss. I certainly think it helped me make the transition to my new way of eating. But once we got closer to our health goals, we learned peanut butter may not be the best option.

For one, peanuts contain the potentially dangerous anti-nutrient lectins. Then there's the whole mold issue. Peanuts are especially susceptible to a mold that produces aflatoxin, which is a carcinogen. Peanuts are also one of the most common food allergens. The deciding factor in finally letting go of peanut butter was when my 4 year old broke out into hives within minutes of eating it. I haven't bought peanut butter since. I don't know why my child had that reaction, especially when she'd eaten peanut butter many times before, and has had a few times since. Maybe it was a contaminated batch (mold), or maybe we just eat too dog-gone much peanut butter. I'm looking at my SC Produce Availability Calendar, and it shows green peanuts in season from July-September, just 3 short months. Perhaps this is another reason we should be eating seasonal foods.

So, why in the world am I making homemade peanut butter today? Well, I received fresh, local, organic green peanuts in my CSA basket the past two weeks, and I wasn't about to let them waste. Truth is, I have missed peanut butter, and I think life is too short to never have it again. But if I'm gonna have it, I rather make it homemade and as nutritious as I can!

I found a recipe here, but changed things up a bit because I do not have a food processor, which would have saved me a lot of time. Nonetheless, my trusty Magic Bullet got the job done! I'm also excited to try these homemade Reese's Cups for Halloween!

Homemade Peanut Butter


Soaking:
Shell peanuts and place into a large bowl. Cover with water, plus another 2 cups. Add 1 TB salt (for every 4 cups of peanuts), stir and leave on counter to soak for 12 hours. Drain. Rinse well.

Dehydrating:
Spread peanuts onto a baking sheet and place in oven set to 155° to dry them (about 12 hours).

Roasting:
Preheat oven to 275°. Roast for 10 minutes or til slightly browned. Do not overcook, and remember they will continue to cook slighlty after removing from oven. (Trust your nose...when you smell them, take them out!) Allow to cool.

Processing:
(I used a Magic Bullet for this, so I found it best to mix in small batches.) Add 3 handfuls of roasted peanuts to the short cup. Add 2-3 dashes of salt. Attach the flat blade and blend. Open up, scrape down sides, and blend again. Repeat several times til the peanut butter becomes desired consistency. Store in refrigerator.

*This took some time in the Magic Bullet, so if you have a food processor, use it! You may not need the extra salt. I found the salt helped pull the moisture from the peanuts to make it a butter.



Here's batch #1 from last week:

I over-roasted and over-salted that first batch. 

Today, while making batch #2, I cut back on both the roasting and the salt. When I was finished, I combined both batches together and came out with this one:

 

I think this turned out quite well!