Peanut butter is a product obtained by grinding peanuts. The fat it contains is good for the heart and provides protein, but how is peanut butter preserved?
The unopened peanut butter jar can be at room temperature for 6 to 9 months. After uncovering, it can only be 2 or 3 months, but if stored in the fridge, it can last between 4 to 6 months.
To know how to preserve peanut butter properly, just read on.
Keep homemade peanut butter in the fridge
Making peanut butter at home is a simple and healthy option. It serves to prepare different dishes and desserts. But when it comes to preserving it, you must consider some things.
First, you should keep homemade peanut butter at a low temperature, which should not exceed 50°F (10°C), which is why storing it in the refrigerator is more convenient. There it can be kept in perfect condition.
To store homemade peanut butter in the refrigerator, do the following:
- Step 1: Sterilize the bottles.
It is advisable to use glass jars with an airtight lid. These jars, with their lids, are put in a pot with boiling water for about 15 minutes.
- Step 2: Remove the jars with a tweezer.
Tweezers should be used to remove the jars and lids from the pot, then place them on a rack until they dry completely.
- Step 3: Pour the peanut butter into the jar.
Carefully transfer the peanut butter into the jar without filling completely. Then the bottle is covered well.
- Step 4: Tag.
Stick a label with the date of storage of the peanut butter.
- Step 5: Store the peanut butter in the fridge.
Place the peanut butter on the door of the refrigerator. There you can keep it in good condition for about three months.
After a while in storage, you can see that the peanut butter begins to separate due to the peanuts’ natural oil. However, it is not a sign of getting damaged. You just have to remix it until you get the desired consistency.
Another method, much more straightforward, could be to turn the bottle every so often. In this way, the peanut butter will mix itself.
The oily part tends to go up constantly, so the natural separation process will help hold the peanut butter together when you flip the jar.
Freeze the homemade peanut butter
Can peanut butter be frozen? It is possible to freeze peanut butter, but it is not an option that is recommended as the low temperatures of the freezer change the molecular structure of peanut butter.
Its consistency changes, making it much more challenging to mix again. However, if you prepare a reasonable amount, you can freeze it to extend its shelf life.
To freeze homemade peanut butter, you should do the following:
- Step 1: Separate the peanut butter.
You must divide the peanut butter into small portions because it will be much more manageable later. In this case, it is perfect to use bags with hermetic sealing suitable for freezing.
You could also use plastic film. Form a disc or a tube and then wrap it with the film.
- Step 2: Freeze for 6 hours.
In a tray, all the portions of butter keel are placed and left for about six hours.
- Step 3: Store all portions in one bag.
After the peanut butter is frozen, pass the portions to a bag suitable for freezing to avoid having them without any order.
- Step 4: Enter the storage date.
Write the date of storage of the peanut butter on a label or the same bag.
- Step 5: Store in the freezer.
If you follow all these steps, you may freeze peanut butter for about six months.
To thaw, leave it a few hours at room temperature, or you can leave it overnight in the fridge. You should never thaw peanut butter in the microwave.
How to keep the commercial peanut butter
It is easy in supermarkets and grocery stores to get jars of peanut butter. These come in different sizes to suit the needs of each person.
Most have added preservatives that help them stay in good condition for a long time. In addition, these are very simple to preserve.
The unopened commercial peanut butter can be stored in the pantry, in a dry and cool place, for 6 to 9 months if the temperature does not exceed 25°C (77°F). Otherwise, store it at the door of the fridge. [1] [2]
Once opened, the shelf life is reduced to about 2-3 months at room temperature and 4-6 months in the fridge.
In this case, freezing commercial peanut butter is unnecessary as it does not extend its shelf life but does change its consistency. So it’s not a good idea.
How do you know if peanut butter is bad?
Three ways to determine if peanut butter is spoiled are:
- Bad smell: if, when opening the bottle, it gives off a foul, rotten or rare smell, it is best to discard its contents, as it indicates that it is in poor condition.
- Terrible taste: if the smell is ok but has a weird or bad taste, it is also a sign that peanut butter has broken down.
- Presence of mold: if on the peanut butter or in the jar or lid, there are black, white, or greenish spots, it means that it has developed mold, and you should throw it away.
How long does peanut butter last?
| Product | Duration |
| Homemade peanut butter in the fridge | 3 months |
| Homemade peanut butter in the freezer | 6 months |
| Commercial peanut butter at room temperature (unopened) | 6 – 9 months |
| Commercial peanut butter at room temperature (opened) | 2 – 3 months |
| Commercial peanut butter in the fridge (opened) | 4 – 6 months |
What is the best way to preserve peanut butter?
The best way to preserve peanut butter, whether homemade or commercial, is to store it in the fridge.
If the average temperature is below 77°F (25°C), you can leave it in the pantry for quite some time.
If you are interested in learning about the methods of preserving different foods, this website has a long list of topics you might be interested in, so feel free to explore as much as you want.
[1] https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-is-the-shelf-life-of-peanut-butter
