Peanut butter is an incredible go-to treat. So much so that I am starting to think there is no such thing as a full peanut butter jar. From the moment I bring a jar of peanut butter into my house, I eat so much so quickly that it feels I am always rationing the last parts of the jar. I will only allow myself to buy a single peanut jar every fortnight (it is pretty high in fat) but I make it through the majority of the jar in about two days. Then it becomes a game of trying to enjoy my peanut butter in small amounts until I decide I am allowed another jar. When the jar is approaching the very end I have one trick that I use to get the very best out of the last bits. Read on to find out.
While the end of a peanut butter jar is a sad time I have found the silver lining. I can’t go as far as saying as I look forward to the end but I do have a trick to make something super nice. I call it the Peanut Butter Ressurection. Because it brings that dead jar back to life for one last meal.
The idea is simple, I turn the remains of my peanut butter into a sauce. This is very easy to do. I add warm water to the peanut butter jar and mix violently. It is good to have an equal ratio of water to peanut butter. I generally start making the sauce when I have about two tablespoons of peanut butter left. Those two tablespoons are obviously all stuck to the side of the jar but the warm water helps them come loose. Alter the appropriate amount of water to decide if you want the sauce to be super thick and great for dipping or super thin and great for pouring over a meal.
That alone makes a pretty good peanut sauce. Yet there are ways to take it to the next level. If you want to make it a little tangy add some apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. Lime is also a good shout. If you want to make it savory then a little soy sauce is perfect. If you prefer your sauce on the spicy side add some hot sauce. You can also take it to the sweet area of the palette by adding honey or maple syrup. There really are endless options depending on what you have in your pantry.
It doesn’t have to be peanut butter either. This works well with any nut butter and by mixing up the combinations you can discover some beautiful recipes that are so easy to create. The last combination I put together was actually an almond butter with some maple syrup and vanilla. I made it for my partner and me to dip apple slices into while watching a movie, although I must admit that my partner did not get to enjoy a lot of the sauce as I devoured it pretty quickly.
You can make this sauce and add some rice, vegetables, and a fried egg and have a fantastic lunch option that is ready to go in less than ten minutes. The other great part of this approach is that when that sauce is made you know it is time to go shopping and buy another jar of your favorite nut butter. Why peanut butter has such a powerful hold over me I have no idea, all I know is I have just learned another reason that I am at its mercy. Give this a try and perhaps you will be too.
