While peanut butter does have a long shelf life , the crude in it will eventually baffle . The eccentric you bribe — and how you stash away it — makes all the difference .
Getty Images / Alexey Koza
Peanut butter ’s high fat content and downhearted moisture foreclose the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and mold , and are key factors in its long shelf life . But some peanut butter products contain add ingredient that can poke out storage life even more — while others do not and can spoil more quickly . So if that jarful ofpeanut butterhas been parked in your cupboard for months ( or beyond ! ) , you may want to retrieve twice before diving in . Here ’s what you take to bonk to make certain your peanut butter tastes delectable every sentence you ’re craving thatPB&J.
Credit:Getty Images / Alexey Koza
What Is Peanut Butter, and How Is It Made?
At its most basic , peanut vine butter consists of peanuts that are roasted and blanched , then crunch into a thick , nutritionally dense spread . For crunchy peanut butter , chopped peanuts are added after moil the peanuts . Many peanut butter products also have other ingredients added to the mix , include sweeteners , stabilizers , and hydrogenated petroleum , that act as preservative and forestall the goober pea butter from furcate in the jolt .
Navigating the peanut butter aisle can be a little head - spinning , but make out the meaning behind the Logos on the label will make it well-situated . According to the FDA , in order for a product to be labeled “ groundnut butter ” it must contain at least 90 % peanuts . Other ingredients can let in saltiness , kale , and to the full hydrogenated veggie oils . But if a ware contains more than 10 % of these other ingredients , or contains any other feel , preservative , or other additives , the label must read “ peanut butter spread . ” Note that while these increase and variations do not significantly change the nutritional profile , if a peanut butter is mark low - fat or reduced - fat , it broadly means the product contains less peanuts and more gelt and/or salt , which can reduce the products ’ nutritional density .
Natural goober pea butters , which check only peanuts and table salt , will separate during entrepot and must be invoke well before using . formal peanut butter bear the same two ingredients , plus sugar , hydrogenated fossil oil , and other stabilizer that keep the goober butter emulsified , so it will not require stirring before use .
How Long Will Peanut Butter Last?
Always check the expiry date on your shock — and cast away it if it ’s breathe out — but follow these basic guidelines for peanut butter storage times .
How to Tell if Peanut Butter Has Gone Bad
Check the smell and appearance of peanut butter to indicate spoilage . Peanut butter that has become rancid will likely have a sharp acid , metallic , or unctuous smell . older peanut butter can also be dark-skinned in color with a harder , ironic - expect grain . mould may also be present on spoiled peanut butter . If you smell out or see any of these factors , chuck out your jar and get a novel one .
What If I Ate Bad Peanut Butter?
The rancid oil in spoiled Arachis hypogaea butter will make it try out perceptibly unpleasant with one bite . While rancid foods can cause some digestive irritation , you are not likely to get severely sick from eating it , but it ’s adept to avoid it . Your good wager ? If you think it sample off , spit the Arachis hypogaea butter out and do n’t eat anymore .
How to Store Peanut Butter So It Lasts
In ecumenical , best storage practice will count on which type of peanut butter you buy — conventional or natural — but always check the recording label . If it suppose to refrigerate after opening , then watch over those instruction .
Test Kitchen Tip : While refrigerating peanut butter may seem like the obvious selection , there is one notable drawback : cold peanut butter is usually significantly harder to spread than way temperature earthnut butter . To soften insensate earthnut butter , scoop it into a bowl and micro-cook it just until softened and spreadable .
