Did you know that Peanut Butter is the number 1 most requested item in food banks nationwide? Because peanut butter is a shelf stable, affordable, easy to eat, plant-based protein source that almost everyone enjoys, especially our furry friends 😊 Many people stocked up on their favorite pantry staples during the height of COVID. If you find yourself cleaning out the back of our pantry or basement food storage area and come across an extra jar or two of peanut butter – DONATE it! There are many food banks and animal shelters that would gladly accept your unopened jar of peanut butter.
The “best by” date is just that, a best by date. It is not an expiration date – in fact peanut butter when properly sealed and stored can actually last for many years. If your peanut butter is in fact “expired” you will most certainly know as soon as you open it up. The natural peanut oil could go “rancid” if not properly sealed and stored and when the oil is rancid, the smell is horrible and overpowering. If you open any jar of Crazy Richard’s peanut butter and you smell a delicious, peanut buttery flavor – then you can tell that the peanut butter is still good! However, depending on how old the product is, it will most likely be very hard to stir when you open it so we do recommend that you empty the entire jar into a stand mixer and let the machine do the mixing for you.
CR Family Tip: If you are looking to avoid a mini forearm workout, check out this fun video for an easy stirring trick 😉
When in doubt, don’t throw it out – donate it instead 😊 Or use it to feed your local wildlife. Birds and squirrels also LOVE peanut butter!
DIY Peanut Butter Bird Feeder
You can make a simple DIY bird feeder by using a knife or spoon to cover a dropped pinecone with peanut butter, then roll that pinecone in bird seed or crushed nuts. You can hang your finished pinecone bird feeder by a string in a nearby tree or simply lay them on a tree branch. Your local wildlife will be visiting you in no time and will happily munch away!