So I gave up.
Until.......I tried Hippie.
Oh Yeah. Hippie Peanut Butter hits the spot. He LOVES my Hippie peanut butter. And who can blame him? It's fresh and he watches it go from peanuts to peanut butter before his big brown eyes.
There is something magical about watching something morph or grow or change. As soon as we get home from school/work every day, he is in the garden, checking to see what's grown, what's changed. When I make bread, he likes to watch me work with the dough and then watches it bake through the little window on the oven door. He is learning to make his own cookies, and prefers to test the dough before they are baked and then eat them hot immediately after, complete with dramatics of "MAMA! These are TOO good! MAMA!"
This kid is the kid that steals cooling pies off windowsills and eats them in the hayloft.
My favorite part of making Hippie Peanut Butter is how easy it is. And I know what's in it.
Here's what's in Jif Creamy Peanut Butter:
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
Uh-huh. Rapeseed? What is that? Mono and diglycerides? Ew.
Here's what's in Hippie Peanut Butter:
Peanuts, Salt.
Uh-huh. See what I'm saying?
So let's get down to business, shall we?
First things first- peanuts. I go to (surprise surprise) Trader Joe's and get my peanuts there. I use one bag Honey Roasted (so obviously more than just peanuts- I know) and one bag 50% less salted. The combination is ideal for my family, who prefers their peanut butter be a little sweeter than just straight peanuts, and the 50% less salt helps keep the saltiness and sodium in check.
You may use whatever peanuts you prefer. And if you feel a little "yeah, right Hippie Mom, homemade peanut butter. Psh." Then make a small batch first to try it.
Here's what you do:
Dump the peanuts in the food processor. Press go.
If you have a teeny tiny food processor, please be aware that you may have to give the little motor cooling breaks so you don't fry it. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Let's just say that after I made my first batch, I received a new GIANT food processor that can handle the load and doesn't smoke when I use it.
At first, the peanuts look like pebbly dirt.
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| Peanut Pebbles.......... |
Then they start to clump.
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| It's hard to get a good picture of peanuts in the processor........ |
Then they do what I call the Peanut Tsunami where this giant peanut wave works its way around the processor bowl, devouring all the other peanut pieces.
Eventually it starts to smoooooth out.
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| Smooooooth |
When it hits smooth and creamy, without any weird lumps or bumps twirling around in there, it's done. (If you like crunchy, toss in some more peanuts and run the processor again just to break them up into smaller pieces.)
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| Refilling the Hippie jar. |
Go ahead and taste test it- it will be a little soft and warm. Grinding peanuts causes friction, which causes heat. It's all good, because warm, soft peanut butter pours so much easier into a jar. (I use an old Jif jar, or a glass Mason jar- whatever is handy.) Once you pop it in the fridge for a few hours, it will stiffen up to a firmer consistency, or you can leave it out and it will stay soft.
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| Deliciousness...... |
Once you realize how easy homemade Peanut Butter really is, you can make it and give it to your friends and family. Introduce them to the wonder that is Hippie living. A fresh loaf of bread, a jar of Hippie peanut butter, and a jar of local Honey would make an excellent housewarming or hostess gift.
Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below. I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures.
Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama
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