Natural carefully – that’s why “junky” peanut butter is better according to a professional cook

For years I kept a glass of natural, biological, peanut butter in my ingredient Take a look. This was back when I lived in Hudson Valley, surrounded by health transactions on every corner. It was inevitable to leave my beloved skippy for the natural “better” stuff “better”.

Before I knew it, my food hotel had filled with Maka-Staubem Goji Berry-Chia-Samen-Floxseed muesli. Körner each older than the last; Antioxidative superfoods through the handful; And – of course – a glass of peanut butter made of only peanuts. But when I switched to natural peanut butter, the urge to dig a spoon directly into the glass disappeared suddenly – and thus one of the little joys of life.

Life in New York City has the opportunity to withdraw the pretext from things. Since I moved here, I have exchanged the open green of the Hudson Valley for Brooklyn’s neighborhood parks and Corner Bodegas. And when I no longer think about eating a greasy disc pizza at 1 a.m., I stopped rethinking peanut butter. I will keep the natural way for stews and sauces where it shines, but if I need something delicious or the perfect PB for baking, I will reach for the undeniable delicious, creamy, sweetened, emulsified stuff. Let’s call it self-trestling, call it a return to what trusts feels-as my skippy is back in my pantry, where it belongs.

Why is creamy, sweetened peanut butter so damn good?

So what makes that sweetened Conventional peanut butter Like Skippy, JIF and similar shop stamps, so good? It is more than just nostalgia, at least that plays a role for me. The real answer lies in the ingredients: a little sugar and salt as well as stabilizers and emulsifiers that keep everything smooth and shelf-stable.

In contrast to natural peanut butter, which differs in a layer of oil and gravel solids, containing conventional supermarket – erd nut butter typically added oils – heavily hydrated vegetable oils – as stabilizers, which prevents this separation. Through hydrogen, hydrogen atoms add unsaturated fats, which convert them into saturated or partially saturated fats. This changes the structure of the oil and makes it firmer and smooth and far less susceptible to separation at room temperature.

Emulgators such as mono and diglycerides or lecithin are also usually added to hold water and fat together. In the meantime, a little sugar (or corn syrup) and salt round off the taste. The result is a constantly creamy, stable spread that is not divided or fulfilled in the moisture.

If it stabilized, emulsifier “junky” use peanut butter

This stability makes a big difference in baking. Emulsified peanut butter folds seamlessly into melted chocolate, butter and Dough without becoming granular or oily. It stays smooth in Frostbiteholds its shape in No-bake barand power Cookies Soft and more coherent. In Cake And fillings mix it evenly to a silk finish. Natural peanut butter, on the other hand, can cause mixtures to become dry and crumbly, separate or bake. Also outside the baking, creamy stabilized and emulsified peanut butter is more practical: it is effortlessly spreading to toast, does not have to arouse stirring and delivers this clean, dense spoon when you are in the kitchen and search for a quick pick-up.

When natural peanut butter fits the best

This does not mean that natural peanut butter does not have its place. His rich, nutty taste and the fact that it is usually not sweetened West African peanut Or Sudanese Mullah Kombo, where the roasted taste of the peanuts can get through without interference. Just be ready to make it serious – the oil separates without emulsifiers and needs a little effort to bring it together again.

A comfort that is worth fulfilling

For me, creamy emulsified peanut butter is a memory that not everything in the pantry has to be virtuous. Sometimes it just has to taste very, very good. Sometimes a spoon is slightly sweetened, perfectly smooth peanut butter directly from the glass is the type of calm, transcendent comfort that cuts through the cacophony. For me, this is a simple pleasure that is worth keeping.