I had no idea I could mill my own peanut butter using a food processor. Once again, kudos Pinterest. I love the feeling of making something with my own two hands. I suppose it might be more satisfactory if I had grown the peanuts, shelled them and roasted them myself. Alas, I did not get so pioneer woman on this expedition.

I used honey roasted peanuts, although next time I will definitely be using plain roasted peanuts so I can really control the type of flavour in the end result. As such I am attaching a simple recipe which calls for plain dry roasted peanuts. You could theoretically use any type of peanut you like; if you have a fancy peanut store like Picard’s you could get your hands on any type of spiced or flavoured nut you can imagine. Who says peanut butter can’t be wild?

I digress. I have one word to describe my afternoon: delicious. Because there is nothing quite so yummy or capable of transporting me backwards 20 years into my childhood as a stalk of celery smothered in peanut butter.

Nine ounces of honey roasted peanuts just about filled a 1/2 pint canning jar. It took somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes to get the consistency I was happy with: a slightly grainy but not “crunchy” or “smooth” peanut butter. I didn’t have to add any ingredients because my peanut was flavoured, but a plain roasted peanut would require salt or honey/icing sugar to taste.

My little guy is terrified of the food processor. Every time I turn it on he cries bloody murder. I put him in the Ergo; problem solved.

As the peanut is processed it will first breakdown into crumbs, which will begin to clump into a thick paste. Soon a doughy peanut butter ball will form. Don’t stop processing; the ball will smooth out as the peanut butter becomes more runny. At this point keep an eye on the progress if you are looking for a crunchier peanut butter. You may need to scrape down the sides with a larger amount of peanuts; I didn’t have to.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Recipe for 1/2 pint jar:

• 10 oz. dry roasted peanuts
• 2 tbsp. icing sugar or honey
• If using unsalted peanuts add salt to taste. I would start with 1/2 tsp. and add more if not salty enough.

1. Measure ingredients into food processor.
2. Process on high for 5-10 minutes. Check consistency.
3. For creamy smooth peanut butter you may need to process for 15 or more minutes.
4. Fill a sterilized canning jar, screw on lid and store in fridge for 4-6 weeks.

“As the peanut is processed it will first breakdown into crumbs, which will begin to clump into a thick paste. Soon a doughy peanut butter ball will form. Don’t stop processing; the ball will smooth out as the peanut butter becomes more runny. At this point keep an eye on the progress if you are looking for a crunchier peanut butter. You may need to scrape down the sides with a larger amount of peanuts; I didn’t have to.” – Jenny