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How to make nut butter last even longer
Nut butter will keep for a long time in your pantry—up to two years, if for some reason you don’t crack open that jar. But after opening, should you refrigerate it?That depends on the type of nut butter and how voracious a nut butter eater you are.
A commercial nut butter, once opened, will keep in your pantry for two to three months, according to the USDA, and most big brands encourage room-temperature storage. Plus, it stays spreadable that way.
But it'll last at least twice as long if kept in the fridge, writes Dana Gunders in The Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.
Almond butter and finger bananas on fruit bread
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A natural nut butter made with nuts and little else, on the other hand, will go rancid more quickly and should be refrigerated after opening. It'll keep for between three and six months in the fridge—plus you won’t get the oil separation inside the jar that occurs at room temperature (not a big deal; just stir until smooth.).
No matter what, make sure the lid is on tight.If in doubt—if a nut butter smells off—don’t eat it.
Jar stars
You can easily swap one nut butter for another. Almond and cashew tend to be the most neutral-flavored of the group. Here’s a rundown:
Peanut butter.This perennial favorite tops other nut butters when it comes to protein and folate (great for the brain!).It’s hard to beat its versatility too, not only for baking but also as a thickener and flavoring in stews, sauces, marinades, and more.Most peanut butter is made from one particular variety called the runner peanut.
Almond butter. A good sub for peanut butter and its mild nuttiness lends well to both sweet and savory uses. Plus, it’shigh in calcium and vitamin E.“I would use almonds to make pesto if I didn’t want nuts to be the star and I didn’t want to spend the money on pine nuts,” says Robertson.
Cashew butter. This creamy nut butter, rich in magnesium and iron, is also on the pleasantly mild end of the flavor spectrum, so you can slip it as easily into a range of dishes as you would almond butter.
Hazelnut butter. Make that, chocolate hazelnut butter, the most prevalent iteration of this product. It shouldn’t be a surprise that sugar, not hazelnuts, is the first ingredient listed on most brands. Then again, you’re probably not buying it for health reasons (again: brownies).
Macadamia nut butter. This sweet, soft, and super expensive nut produces a super expensive nut butter that’s mildly sweet (and high in calories, if that’s a concern). Find it online and in specialty and health food stores, not the supermarket.
Sunflower seed butter. Not a nut butter, obviously, but an ideal alternative if you’re allergic to nuts and peanuts. It’s creamy and light, not to mention a good source of Vitamin E.
Soynut butter. Another quasi-nut butter made from roasted soybeans. It’s a good substantial replacement for peanut butter, and it's high in protein and fiber to boot.
