We sure do love peanut butter in this country. Recent stats show that Americans consume more than 4 pounds of the sandwich staple per person each year. And though nearly everyone has a strong opinion on the best kind for the perfect PB&J (smooth vs. crunchy, salted vs. unsalted, sweetened vs. natural), one brand routinely appears on “best of” lists: Kirkland Signature Natural Peanut Butter from Costco.
It’s easy to see why it has legions of fans. The ingredients list is refreshingly short (just dry roasted organic peanuts and sea salt), there are no preservatives, and the price is hard to beat—less than $12 for two hefty 28-ounce jars. How can you not love a Costco discount?!
But there’s nearly one universal complaint about this Kirkland product: It’s downright difficult to mix. Because there are no emulsifiers in natural peanut butter, the oil floats to the top, so you need to stir the peanut butter together. But since the Costco jars are so big (28 ounces as opposed to 16 or 18), there’s just a lot more PB and oil to get through. Plus, some shoppers have said that Kirkland’s peanut butter has a thicker, stickier base than competing brands.
Recently, there have been heated discussions on Reddit regarding some, shall we say, creative methods for mixing Costco’s brand of peanut butter. So what is the best way to mix it? I went to an expert—Amy Palanjian, the founder of the website Yummy Toddler Food, who uses natural PB in her healthy recipes—to find out and save your sanity. Let’s dig in.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more food news, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
How are fans trying to mix it?
Heard we were doing “How I mix my peanut butter” posts…
byu/DmMeYourRefrigerator inCostco
People have apparently been giving their peanut butter a whirl in a stand mixer or going at it with a beater attached to a drill. Yep, people are breaking out power tools to make their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Of course, Reddit has THOUGHTS. And the reactions to these hacks, as you can imagine, are popcorn-worthy. Here’s a sampling:
- “The amount of time some people have is astounding to me.”
- “That’s like … way, way more work, messier and time consuming.”
- “If you are going this far, buy dry roasted peanuts and put them in the food processor.”
- “OP loves doing dishes.”
Others relayed their experiences with the following “solutions”:
- “Thought this was a good idea, and just tried it with one beater on my hand-held mixer. I didn’t have a sufficiently good hold on the jar, which started spinning wildly. Now I’m laughing hysterically, and have oil spattered all over myself, counter, cabinets, wall and floor. Five feet spray radius, impressive.”
- “Many times have I tried stirring the peanut butter with assorted power tools. It’s bad if you lose your grip on a jar and the whole thing goes spinning out of control.”
That said, plenty of Redditors went the more sane route—you know, mixing the peanut butter with a butter knife or spoon like a normal person. Yes, you’ll have to use more elbow grease this way, but hey, at least you’re not going to break anything by accidentally launching your jar into the (kitchen) stratosphere.
What’s the best way to mix it, according to an expert?
“I find the effort and mess involved in getting out a mixer, then cleaning it, to have diminishing returns,” says Palanjian. But there is a trick to making the mixing process a whole lot easier.
Here’s what she suggests:
- Store the jar of peanut butter upside down in the pantry or on the counter when you get home from the store. Wait a day or two.
- Simply stir it with a spoon. (And then lick it clean!)
- Store the jar upright in the refrigerator.
What’s the advantage of this method?
The advantage of the upside-down method (also mentioned by quite a few people on Reddit), says Palanjian, is that gravity does most of the job: “The oils will be mostly mixed in all by themselves, and you get to do less work.” Basically, that Newtonian force will naturally bring some of the PB down “into” the oil, making mixing it easier. At that point, a simple stir with a spoon or knife is enough to do the trick.
“Once the peanut butter is mixed and stored in the fridge, you probably won’t need to repeat the process. “It usually stays perfectly mixed,” says Palanjian, “since the peanut butter firms up slightly, which reduces the natural separation.”
For sandwiches, apples or straight-from-the-jar spoonfuls? It’s ready to go. And if you’re planning to use the peanut butter in batters for baked goods, Palanjian adds, “let it sit at room temp for a bit to soften up.”
So skip the stand mixer and power tools. Just flip the jar, wait, stir, chill and enjoy your Kirkland peanut butter.
RELATED:
- This Quirky Trick Can Keep Your Bread from Going Stale
- Here’s Why You’ll Never Find Kirkland Mayonnaise in Costco
- This Is Why You Should Never Buy Costco’s Kirkland Products on Amazon
About the expert
|
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Amy Palanjian, recipe developer, founder of Yummy Toddler Food and author of Dinnertime SOS; email interview, Aug. 26, 2025
- National Peanut Board: “Celebrate Record-Breaking Peanut Butter Consumption During PB Lovers Month & Beyond”
- Reddit: “My favorite way to mix the peanut butter”
- Reddit: “Heard we were doing ‘How I mix my peanut butter’ posts…”
The post Mystery Solved! Here’s the Best Way to Mix Your Kirkland Peanut Butter, According to a Food Expert appeared first on Reader's Digest.
from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/tsgxomX
Comments
Post a Comment