Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground dry roasted peanuts.
It often contains ingredients that modify its shelf life and added salt, sugar, and hydrogenated vegetable oils to improve flavor and texture.
Peanut butter is served as a spread on bread, toast, or crackers; used in sandwiches and wraps, especially with jelly; used to make peanut butter cookies and other sweets, or eaten by itself directly from the container.
So can you freeze peanut butter? Yes. You can freeze peanut butter but should add some extra ingredients to keep the consistency smooth once defrosted.
One way is to “blend” your frozen peanut butter and then seal it in a plastic container or bag for future use.
Another way is to mix in oil with your frozen peanut butter and then seal it in a plastic container or bag for future use.
In this article, we will give you tips on how to freeze peanut butter and recipes on what to do with it once frozen.
Does Freezing Affect Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter is considered to be a soft solid fat at room temperature. However, it does become semi-solid when frozen.
In peanut butter, the incorporation of air is required for the paste to form a smooth texture while being stored in containers or jars before consumption.
This occurs specifically during the grinding process before it goes into storage; freezing does not affect peanut butter’s texture as long as there is minimal air left inside the container.
Freezing does not affect peanut butter long-term.
The product’s texture remains the same once defrosted; however, it is a good practice to shake or stir your peanut butter containers after defrosting because air bubbles might form during storage and shipping.
How to Freeze Peanut Butter?
If you do not mind the peanut butter becoming grainy when frozen, then there is no need for you to freeze it, so just refrigerate your peanut butter for up to 12 months.
However, if you want that smooth texture back in your peanut butter after defrosting, here’s how to freeze peanut butter:
Break off little pieces of your peanut butter and drop them into a plastic container.
The oil in the peanut butter will prevent it from sticking to the bottom or sides of the container, so shake until each piece is coated evenly with an even layer of oil.
Label and date your containers before placing them in the freezer.
Add a teaspoon of oil to a frozen container of peanut butter.
If you do not have oil on hand, it is acceptable to use water or apple sauce instead once your peanut butter has been thawed.
The consistency will still be smooth after defrosting; however, the taste may change slightly depending upon what you used for your substitute.
This is a good way to ensure that your peanut butter will not be hard once defrosted.
However, you have to remember to shake the jar each time before using it.
How to Thaw Frozen Peanut Butter?
If you have frozen peanut butter in a plastic container or bag, remove it from the freezer first thing in the morning and let it defrost for about 6 hours before using.
Peanut butter can be thawed in a refrigerator or at room temperature by gently stirring or shaking the container.
Once defrosted, it should never be re-frozen.
Frozen peanut butter can be thawed in the microwave or by placing the container on a plate and resting it at room temperature.
Depending upon how much oil you use when freezing your peanut butter, it may take about 15 to 30 minutes of being exposed to room temperature for frozen peanut butter to become its original texture.
However, if you have used water or apple sauce instead, it will take about 2 hours to become its original texture.
How to Use Thawed Peanut Butter?
When it comes to using thawed peanut butter, there are many things that you can do with it.
You can use it to spread on your morning toast or bagel, make sandwiches, or use it in cooking recipes such as sauces and soups.
Another good thing about using thawed peanut butter is making peanut sauce for your satay or nasi goreng dish with it.
It comes in handy when making curry dishes such as Thai green chicken curry and Japanese yakiniku (grilled meat) recipes.
You can use it to top off your stir-fries, pasta, or noodles. Peanut butter can also be used in baking recipes.
It provides a creamy and rich consistency to your cookie bars, brownies, muffins, and cakes.
It is commonly used in frosting to create that classic chocolate frosting look; however, you can use other types of nut butter such as almond butter and cashew butter in the frosting.
How to Tell if Frozen Peanut Butter is Bad?
How will you know that your peanut butter is bad? Some signs to look for are a lack of aroma, discoloration, clumps of oil or peanuts at the bottom, and an unnatural smell.
Summary:
If you store your peanut butter in the refrigerator, it will be good for at least 12 months.
If you are going to freeze your peanut butter, make sure that you break off little pieces of your favorite brand and add an equal amount of oil or substitute because the consistency might change once defrosted.
Just remember to shake the jar each time before using it.
Thawed peanut butter can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week.
So why let it go bad? Just freeze some, and you will never have to worry about using a spoiled jar again.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter? Easy Guide to Freeze Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Prepare all the mentioned equipment and ingredients in the article.
- Follow the steps for proper freezing.
- Label the container with the date and contents.
- Depending on the recipe, thawing time may vary.
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