dnfsod

The fridge addresses the issue of the post: oil separation; more so than spoilage.

I wish I had the discipline to keep a jar of peanut butter around long enough for it to spoil. :)

Growing up we put the peanut butter in the pantry without separation issues because my parents were either fine with or oblivious to the stabilizing additives in the mass produced peanut butter brands.

Now, when I look at the ingredients list I only want to see “peanuts”! (And maybe <1% salt)

Truth.

To that point my favorite peanut butter is hot melted peanut butter warmed by being spread over recently toasted bread.

Likely unnecessary cope.

When in a cupboard the oil separates on top, so it can make mixing more difficult by both having the oil spill out when stirring and having the driest peanut bits stuck deep at the bottom.

Upside down places the oil underneath and the driest parts more accessibly near the removable part of the container.

I always imagined after stirring and placing it in the fridge upside down provides that “last mile” guarantee until it gets to temp in the fridge.

After the first use it goes back in the fridge right side up.

It really shines a light on the excess of American culture.

Japan does have a “drink to excess” culture too, but it largely seems to be more with intent. (Also, in my travels I have found harder alcohols, 35%+, and shots culture are mostly a US characteristic.)

If I’d eat out with only my Japanese friends and we’d get a tabehoudai/nomihoudai we would only consume until sated, usually only ordering about the same amount as a normal menu item, but take advantage of the “all you can” to try new foods and drinks we were unsure if we’d like.

With my fellow American friends we would certainly abuse the privilege by drinking and eating beyond excess without necessarily even setting out to do so.

1. Is cold peanut butter a misery? I grew up in a cupboard pb home, and I enjoy fridge pb as much as cupboard pb. What temperature do you keep your fridge at?

2. Storing upside down is a precaution against oily messes because the oils separate on top of the peanut solids, and so is under the peanut solids when upside down. Also, I mentioned that at the fridge temperatures the oil congeals, and so remains mixed when refrigerated, avoiding any oily mess.

If only there was a blog post that you could read just the first paragraph of to find the answer to your question…

From TFA:

> I love peanut butter. I also hate mixing it. There are many products available to mix peanut butter for you, but I wanted my own design that took no effort to use. I'm looking for a "set it and forget it" solution. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, many natural peanut butters are not homogeneous at all times. The oil and the nutty material separate, and thus require mixing to return it to buttery consistency.

I stir once when I get home from the grocery store then place it in my fridge upside down.

The peanut oil congeals and then you have perfectly mixed smooth pb on demand.

When I lived in Japan everyone who would come visit me would look at restaurant menus and ask “why are the small and large beers the same price? Who would ever buy the small?”

Locals would say matter of factly “you only order the large when you want more.”

Also many restaurants offer Tabehoudai and Nomihoudai, “all you can eat and drink” respectively.

All the servers would come to see when the Americans would order nomihoudai and request a pitcher of beer.

“Okay, one pitcher for the table.”

We’d always get a laugh when we’d say, “Actually, one pitcher for each of us.”