Spread on waffles for breakfast on the go, added to a sauce for noodles, or just plain on a spoon for a protein-rich pick-me-up, peanut butter is as versatile an ingredient as they come. A jar of peanut butter almost never lasts one month in my house. But one day, I opened a container from my pantry and found dry, hard crumbles. Had I been storing my peanut butter correctly? Did it go bad without me noticing? What did I do wrong?
Where To Store Peanut Butter, According to Smucker's
Unlike other condiments we’ve covered recently, open jars are perfectly fine to sit in a pantry away from heat and direct light. A representative from Smucker's had this to say when reached for comment:
“Stabilized peanut butters, like our Jif products, should be stored in a cool, dry area away from strong odors and direct sunlight. This applies to both opened and unopened jars. Refrigeration is not necessary and may make the product difficult to spread. Natural peanut butters that do not contain any stabilizers, like our Smucker’s 'Adams' and 'Laura Scudder’s' natural peanut butter products, are typically best stored at room temperature whether opened or unopened.”
How Long Does Peanut Butter Last in the Pantry?
An open jar can stay fresh for up to three months in the pantry, says the National Peanut Board, an organization that works to support peanut farmers as well as further allergen research.
“After that, it’s recommended to store the peanut butter in the fridge where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months...Unopen[ed] jars of peanut butter can last between 6-9 months when stored in the pantry,” said Markita Lewis, MS, RD, National Peanut Board. If you don’t refrigerate, oil separation can occur.
What's the Difference Between Commercial Peanut Butter and Natural Peanut Butter?
Where your peanut butter is stored also depends on what kind it is, meaning is it “natural” or not. According to the FDA, peanut butter should be 90 percent shelled and roasted peanuts to which seasonings and stabilizing ingredients may be added. These ingredients can be hydrogenated oils or stabilizers, sugar, or other sweeteners, but cannot exceed 10 percent of the weight of the finished product.
Natural peanut butter usually only contains peanuts and salt while conventional peanut butter includes sweeteners and hydrogenated vegetable oil to keep the texture smooth and spreadable. Products that only contain peanuts and salt do best in the refrigerator as they lack the stabilizing agents that keep them from going rancid.
When to Discard Peanut Butter
All bacteria need moisture to reproduce. The NIH states that peanut butter differs from other processed foods like mayonnaise, salad dressing, margarine, and butter in that the water content is too low for spoilage. If moisture does creep in, the surface of peanut butter may mold so keep that jam knife away!
The Bottom Line
Like other condiments, while peanut butter’s shelf life is fine at room temperature, it can be extended by fridge storage. If there are strong bad smells, a funky taste, discoloration, or you see visible signs of mold, just throw it out!
