Peanut butter information

It's not clear exactly why, but an increasing number of toddlers and grade-schoolers are exhibiting peanut allergies -- most of them mild, but some of them life-threatening. Not only can't these kids eat peanuts or peanut butter (or cookies or candy bars containing peanuts), but also many school systems are banning peanuts altogether, in order to create a "peanut-free" school environment for allergic kids.

For this reason, the days of packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in your kid's lunchbox may soon be a distant memory. That's why there may soon be a big boom in alternative, non-peanut spreads, such as cashew, almond or apple butters. With this development in mind, Epicurious.com had a panel of kids test a variety of spreads, their favorites being Woodstock Farms Natural Almond Butter and Nature's Promise Organic Almond Butter. We can't vouch for these products based on a single review, but we'll update this report as more taste tests of non-peanut-spreads become available.

Some high-end blenders and food processors are capable of grinding peanuts to make your own peanut butter. However, you'll need something powerful (such as a Vita-Mix blender) to accomplish a fine enough grind that draws out the oils.

The sources cited in our All Reviews section provide a wide range of comparative and in-depth information about various peanut butter brands. Specific information can also be found on manufacturers' websites:

Skippy

Smucker's Natural

PB2

Maranatha

Jif

365 Organic