In my mind, peanut butter has always been one of the most perfect foods. It’s so simple, it has a wonderful balance of protein and fat that keeps you satisfied, and it goes with practically everything. Apples? Great. Celery? Great. Chocolate? One of the most blissful combinations out there.
Sometime a couple weeks ago I looked in my cabinet and noticed I had three different types of peanut butter sitting there. I looked at the jars and thought about eating even more peanut butter. And here we are.
Teddy: This peanut butter is not a sweet peanut butter. I just want everyone to be aware of that. It is an unsweetened, oil-on-the-top situation that requires stirring. That being said, it has more peanut-y flavor than any other peanut butter I’ve tried. Jelly and chocolate’s best friend. 4/5
Hannaford Store Brand: This guy definitely exceeded my expectations. It ~could~ have been a dry, mealy situation that stuck to the roof of my mouth, but after trying it on a piece of toast I’d have to say it’s pretty much standard, delicious peanut butter. However, like many store brands, it did have a slightly odd aftertaste. 3.5/5
Jif Natural: I’ve always been a Skippy Natural junkie, so I was excited to try Jif Natural. It was a bit drier than I’m used to, but still just the right amount of sweet. Very spreadable. Would be perfect for PB&J. 4/5
Skippy Natural: Disclaimer, this is the peanut butter my family has been buying for years. People say that brand loyalty is extra powerful with peanut butter. This stuff is so damn good. It’s definitively sweet, but not too sweet, spreads like butter, and is all-around delicious. 5/5
Skidmore Peanut Butter: I bought the “plain” variety from Burgess, as opposed to Honey Roasted, which was maybe a mistake. It was very mealy, hard to spread, and much stirring was needed. I will try the honey roasted kind next time and report back. 2.5/5
Capitán Maní: Ok, the chances may be small that you are about to study abroad in Spain, but if you are about to study in Spain, this is the peanut butter you’ll be eating. Despite what people say, it’s not that bad. It’s a little drier than I like, but it kept me going from January to May of this year, when I was in Spain. 3/5
Trader Joe’s Organic PB: Next on the list of peanut butters you probably can’t find, I ate this peanut butter at home because it comes from Trader Joe’s and the Trader Joe’s closest to Saratoga is in Albany. This is a major drawback for Skidmore. It was very peanut-y, required some stirring, but was just a touch sweet the way I like it. 3.5/5
Conclusions
-
Skippy Natural
-
Jif Natural/Teddy
-
Trader Joe’s/Hannaford Brand
-
Capitan Maní