How to Revive a Jar of Dry, Crumbly Peanut (or Almond) (or Sunflower) Butter
Rather than leave those crumbly dry bits at the bottom of the jar to be wasted, here are a few ways you can revive them and put them to good use.
Nut butter is a very versatile ingredient. It goes in noodle bowls, truffles, pastries, and even ice cream. In fact, the only time nut butter isn't very useful is when it's caked onto the bottom of the jar.
For some, leaving all that leftover nut butter at the bottom of the jar is simply inconceivable. So we’re here to teach you how you can revive it.
1. Stir the jar right when you get it
As soon as you crack open a fresh jar of nut butter, the first thing you need to do is stir all the separated oil into the nuts. Use a knife, as it will stir the oil into the nut butter with less splattering than a spoon will. Begin by sticking the dinner knife into the jar, all the way down to the bottom, in a bunch of spots. This will allow the oil to work its way through to the bottom of the jar. Stir it all together once it starts to get evenly distributed until everything is smooth and integrated.
2. Store the jar upside down
Storing the jar upside down is touted as an easy way to get the oil integrated. The oil sinks to the bottom of the jar— but, if the jar is upside-down, it is actually sinking to the top. So when you flip the jar right-side-up to retrieve the nut butter, the butter at the top of the jar will be well-hydrated with oil. This is a long-term solution that prevents the layer of dry, crumbly butter from ever forming because, by the time you get to the end of the jar, it will have been flipped enough time for the oil to continually redistribute and keep the nut butter hydrated and smooth throughout.
3. Stir in some neutral oil
If you're down to the bottom of a jar and the nut butter is dry and crumbly, just add some oil. A few drops of neutral oil (like canola or peanut) and some stirring will get it all incorporated. However, you might want to mix it in a food processor if you’re dealing with larger amounts of nut butter to get the oil fully worked in.
4. Heat it up
If your nut butter is in a glass jar, you can add a few drops of water to the jar before placing the jar in a pan of warm water on the stove. Keep it there just until it gets loosened up a bit.
Now you never have to throw out peanut butter ever again!
