Peanut butter is perhaps one of the most reliable items in your kitchen cabinet. It's always there, ready to be spread over a toasted slice of bread and smothered in jelly. It's also the perfect companion to chocolate, making it an essential ingredient in many desserts.
But now that I think about it, I don't know how long ago it was that I purchased the jar of peanut butter that's currently in my cabinet. Does peanut butter go...bad? After doing a little research, I found the answer to this alarming question, and I'll never look at peanut butter quite the same. Well, that might be dramatic, but it's true, the answer was quite a surprise to me. Learn if and when peanut butter goes bad, and how you should store it so it lasts as long as possible.
Can Peanut Butter Go Bad?
Short answer — yes! Who would've thought, right? Low moisture content and high levels of fat give it an extremely long shelf life. But it will eventually go rancid due to its high fat content.
Food that has gone rancid likely won't get you sick, but you probably won't want to eat it, as the taste and texture will be very unpleasant. Once it hits this stage, even the most die-hard peanut butter fans won't go near it.
You're not going to find mold growing on your peanut butter. That being said, you can still tell that peanut butter has gone bad by sight. Rancid peanut butter will be hard and dry, and the color might even be darker.
Of course, a classic sign of rancid food is a change in smell. Rancid peanut butter might smell, well, not like peanut butter (beware of bitter or metallic odors).
How to Store Peanut Butter
How you should store your peanut butter is going to differ based on the type you're dealing with. Conventional, processed peanut butter has a long shelf-life due to the addition of stabilizers like palm oil and hydrogenated oils. These will be fine to store in a cool, dry place for a period of time. Although for a longer shelf life, you'll want to transfer it to the fridge after two to three months.
Natural peanut butter on the other hand does not contain any of these additives, so they do best when refrigerated after opening. However, they will be fine for a few weeks at room temperature. Worried about the oil separation? You can forget making a mess on the counter as you try to stir the oil into the peanut butter — store it upside down instead so the oil evenly distributes throughout the jar.
How Long Does Peanut Butter Last?
And now for the answer we've all been waiting for: how long does peanut butter really last? Who better to answer than the National Peanut Board? Here's what they have to say on the matter:
Unopened conventional peanut butter: 6-9 months, no refrigeration needed
Opened conventional peanut butter: 2-3 months in the pantry, 6-9 months in the fridge
What about natural peanut butter? Much to my surprise, you don't have to refrigerate natural peanut butter, according to Teddie (a natural peanut butter company). But to slow oil separation, it's best stored in the fridge. Natural peanut butter will be fine in the pantry for up to a month, but if you don't plan to eat it that quickly, you should probably refrigerate it for the best possible taste and texture.
According to The National Peanut Board, an unopened jar of peanut butter can last six to nine months at room temperature. Once opened, they say that it can last two to three months in the pantry before you should move it to the fridge, where it can maintain quality for another three to four months.
If it's gone by, toss it. If it's opened and you can't recall how long it's been there, it's also a good idea to toss it out—even if it's within the "use by" date. Peanut butter will also give you signs when it's gone bad, including a bitter or metallic odor and a darkened, dry appearance.
The bottom line. Peanut butter generally has a long shelf life. In the pantry, commercial peanut butters may last 6–24 months unopened, or 2–3 months once opened. Natural peanut butters lack preservatives and may last several months unopened, or up to a month once opened.
A good rule of thumb for choosing a healthy peanut butter is to look for one with the fewest ingredients. Unhealthier versions may contain added sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which offer extra calories and potentially adverse health effects.
Opened peanut butter will generally go bad after about nine months in the fridge. While it should stay good longer in the fridge as opposed to stored in the pantry, it will go bad eventually. Once you refrigerate peanut butter, don't forget about it indefinitely.
Refrigerated butter should last up to a month past the printed date if it's unopened. If the butter has been opened, it can last up to two weeks past that printed date. If you're storing the butter longer term, unopened butter stored in the freezer can last anywhere from nine months to a year past the date.
Peanut butter can be contaminated with Salmonella from manure, water, wild animals, and soil when peanuts are grown. Sometimes contamination happens in the processing plant after roasting the peanuts, which may get exposed to water with the bacteria (such as through a roof leak at the processing plant).
Nowadays, people are usually consuming it in the morning as a spread on their breads. If you eat your breakfast between 6am to 10am, which is the period of Kapha dosha as per Ayureda as it's oily and fatty, you should avoid having peanut butter at the time.
"Conventional peanut butter does not need to be refrigerated because it has added oils that stabilize it to keep the oil from separating out and to extend its shelf life," says Cooper. Additionally, conventional peanut butter has low water activity, which means microbes generally can't grow in it.
Summary. Dysgeusia is a type of taste disorder that causes food to taste different than it should. It is often caused by a temporary condition such as a cold, allergies, or pregnancy. However, it is sometimes caused by something long-term such as dementia or Parkinson's disease.
Therefore, eating peanut butter or other foods with tryptophan before bed may alleviate sleep issues. Peanut butter is highly nutritious and rich in protein, which reduces food cravings and promotes muscle growth. It also contains tryptophan, which may enhance sleep quality.
You should also know that SKIPPY® Peanut Butter doesn't like being too cold, so keep it freezer-free! How do I know when SKIPPY® Peanut Butter expires? You can find the “Best By” date printed on the lid! SKIPPY® Peanut Butter should be enjoyed before that date—which shouldn't be a problem!
Peanut butter contains prebiotics which feed beneficial bacteria in the microbiome; however, it's important to keep in mind that consuming too much peanut butter can cause digestive distress. Excessive intake can lead to a build up of gas in the intestines due to its high fiber content.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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