Does Peanut Butter Go Bad?

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Peanut butter is a spreadable product whose origin dates back to the Mayans’ pre-Columbian times, and they created a paste with peanuts that were used to relieve toothache. Its modern use is a side to some foods or desserts since Marcellus Gilmore Edson, in 1884, Canada, patented a commercial production process. Since then, it has become very popular.

Maybe you are a lover of peanut butter, or you may have never tried it and want to get some to do it. In either case, it is necessary to know how to store it properly, not to spoil. Read on, and you will find all the information you need to preserve your peanut butter.

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How to Store Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is so popular in baking and cooking in general because of its peanut flavor that combines perfectly with some sweets and that being a creamy product with little moisture, it is long-lasting.

To take advantage of peanut butter benefits when cooking, you must comply with all the parameters that peanut butter may need to prevent it from going bad successfully. Luckily, properly storing peanut butter does not involve any complicated work; everything you must do can be summarized in the following rules:

Keep it in a good place

Once you get your peanut butter and take it home, the next thing is to find a suitable place to store it. All your peanut butter storage needs are to be dark, cool, and dry. Usually, the pantry is capable of meeting these needs, so you should use it without worry.

Keep it sealed

The long life and creaminess of peanut butter are due to its fat content affected by air. When in contact with oxygen, the fats in the peanut butter end up going rancid. Due to this, you must close in such a way that it prevents air passage so that it is not damaged.

Keep it chilled

Refrigerating peanut butter is not necessary to preserve it. It turns out to be just as effective as leaving it at room temperature. In case you do not plan to consume it for the moment and do not have a cool place to store the peanut butter, it is an option that you can count on.

Can You Freeze Peanut Butter?

You may have bought more peanut butter than you seem capable of consuming at the moment, so you are surely considering a long-term option, and you are most likely wondering if you can freeze it. Luckily peanut butter can conserve effectively.

It should be noted that peanut butter hardens but does not freeze being at temperatures below zero. Its duration does not extend. It is practically the same as that obtained when refrigerating it. However, despite this, it is still an option that you can take when you want to store your peanut butter.

How Long Does Peanut Butter Last

As we mentioned earlier, the strong point of peanut butter is its duration; therefore, you should not worry. If you have a container of peanut butter that has been stored and unused for a couple of weeks, it will be perfectly fine.

Peanut butter usually comes with a label on the outside of the container that indicates the deadline by which it is guaranteed that it will maintain its best quality standard. It does not mean that it will go bad after that, for the opposite will remain consumable for several months. Still, the quality of its flavor will deteriorate over time.

Regarding the exact dates of the duration of peanut butter, we can estimate that as long as you have not opened it, it can last as long as its label indicates, plus a year at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen. Once you open it, its duration for the three possible storage options can vary between three and six months, depending on how well you follow the preservation instructions that we mentioned.

How to Tell If Peanut Butter Is Bad

Peanut butter doesn’t go bad on its own. Due to the lack of liquids in its composition, the development of organic matter such as mold is unusual; the most common way that it occurs is that you do not close the container well or introduce elements that contaminate the peanut butter.

What will happen to peanut butter over time will be a process by which it will acquire a rancid smell and taste. It will remain relatively safe to consume but may not be enjoyable for practical uses, so it would be understandable to decide to discard it.

If your peanut butter does not have any of these characteristics, you should be able to consume it and use it in any dish you like, and it should be able to mix with the flavors of other elements without any problem.