PB&J All Grown Up

Apr 26, 2022 by Chef David

By Chef David

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich may be the most iconic sandwich. Many of us have fond memories of this school-lunch staple. Despite their name, peanuts are not actually nuts at all, they are legumes, nuts grow on trees while peanuts grow underground.  Over the years, peanuts developed a negative reputation, associated with food-induced anaphylaxis, a constriction of one’s airways. This is an allergic reaction, treatable with an epi-pen. Expand beyond the peanut butter of your childhood, with kosher natural nut butter. Once Again Nut Butter is certified by Buffalo Vaad Hakashrus, JEM Organics certified by Oregon Kosher, and Noosh Brands certified by OK.

Discover Natural Nut Butters

If you grew up on traditional peanut butter, like me, the look and taste of natural butter may be a surprise. Mass-produced peanut butter is smooth, creamy, and spreads easily. The flavor of natural nut butter is distinctive and complex, they are not uniformly mixed and should be stirred before use.  

Take the time to explore the wide variety of traditional nut butter, most of which are seeds including almond, sunflower, and tahini (which is sesame seeds). Last but not least is cashew which is a tree nut.

Quick Comparison

Surprisingly, the biggest distinction between peanut butter and other nut butter is taste. All nut butters help curb appetite by making you feel full, a result of their high protein, dietary fiber, and fat content. A 2-tablespoon serving contains approximately 200 calories. Nut butter contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that increase good cholesterol HDL which is beneficial for heart health. Most nut butter contains vitamins, E, phosphorus, and zinc.

Of all the traditional nut kinds of nut butter, peanuts are the highest in protein, with 8 grams in 2 tablespoons. Peanut butter provides 12% DV of dietary fiber and is a source of calcium and iron. Peanut butter tends to contain more sugar than other butter, but it is natural.

Almond butter contains more vitamin E (half the DV), iron, and calcium than peanut butter. Sunflower butter contains four times the vitamin E and iron, and less saturated fat than peanut butter. It also contains more magnesium, manganese, selenium, phosphorous, copper, and zinc, and is a good source of foliate. Sunflower butter has a mild earthier flavor, with a thicker texture, a flavor profile I have grown to prefer. Sesame seed butter is commonly called tahini, a key ingredient in hummus when combined with chickpeas, garlic, and cumin.

Cashew has a milder taste than peanut butter, it contains more iron but less sugar. Because it is one of the creamiest butter it is ideal for use as a milk substitute in dairy recipes and adds a subtle richness to pasta.

Great Products with Great Stories

Once Again Nut Butter began in Madison, Wisconsin where Jeremy Thaler and Constance Potter met and united by the power of community and organic, sustainable farming.  In 1976 they created Once Again Nut Butter, moving to upstate New York, where they have continued expanding their line of organic products that currently include a variety of nut butter almond, cashew, sunflower seed, and sesame tahini, each offering a spectrum of options, creamy crunchy and natural. 

Nearly 40 years ago four baby raccoons were found on the Once Again Nut Butter factory grounds. They were adopted and raised on organic nut butter. They became the mascot of this 100% employee-owned company.

We sampled several products and enjoyed the bold fresh tastes. Our favorites were the lightly sweetened sunflower butter, and the tahini which can be used as a simple dip. 

For an artesian taste sensation, JEM Organics produces boutique nut butter made with sprouted nuts. Germination or sprouting makes the nuts easier to digest, increasing their protein content and giving their butter a sweeter taste. The nuts are dehydrated to kill any harmful bacteria, and then stone-ground in small batches. JEM’s signature is its creaminess.

JEM offers unique formulations blending almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios, in combinations designed to form a mature taste. Some combinations include Cinnamon Maca Almond Butter (our favorite), Chocolate Hazelnut, and Coffee Cashew Almond Butter, just to name a few. JEM shows a flair for detail, including hand measuring, stone grinding, and using recyclable glass jars. They might just be the gold standard for sophisticated nut butter creations and unquestionably the smoothest spreading nut butter we tasted.

The Noosh brand is durable and designed to travel. Created by CEO Sarine Sahatjian to provide a convenient healthier snack choice for her two sons. The name Noosh is the Armenian word for “almond” sold in convenient nut-shaped packets. Noosh is made from California almonds made, with added DHA Omega-3 and oat bran. They describe their nut butter as smooth and silky, I would characterize them as innovative, and practical.

Noosh sells ½ ounce travel packs, in an interesting range of child-friendly flavors including chocolate, cupcake, birthday cake, coffee, and chocolate mint.  For those who like texture, they make chocolate and coconut crunch. We also tested the Noosh 100% almond oil spray and found it to be an easy-to-use and versatile, a recommended heart-healthy butter replacement in our cooking. 

Stir and Serve

In natural nut butter, the oil separates during storage, this is normal, storing the jars upside down may make it easier to stir. Commercial brands often use hydrogenated oil to prevent separation during storage, but this introduces trans fats.

You can easily make your own nut butter by putting seeds or nuts in a high-powered blender and processing them until they become a paste, there is no need for extra ingredients. Why eat preservatives or additives when you don’t need to?

Go Nuts

Nut butter makes a suitable snack for people on the go or simply chained to their desks, giving you healthy calories for lunching or munching.  Available online, and at local stores, each of these three brands is positioned to attract a slightly different audience, Once Again Butter is natural and practical, Noosh is fun and portable, and JEM Organics is sophisticated and refined.

Embrace your inner child and select a plant-based protein nut butter, elevate your PB&J into an adult grab-and-go.