Different flavors from P.B. Loco. There are 28 gourmet peanut butters in this article: a different flavor for every day of February.

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February 2006

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Jams, Jellies, Nut & Fruit Butters

Peanut Butter Bonanza

It’s Not Just Creamy & Crunchy Anymore

When we were growing up, there were two kinds of peanut butter: creamy and crunchy. Then one day, chocolate-ribbon peanut butter appeared as a specialty item: a hallmark occasion. Today, “plain old chocolate” is so old-hat: White Chocolate Raspberry is our favorite sweet flavor, when we’re not reveling in Onion Parsley, Garlic Rosemary, and Sun-Dried Tomato.

Today’s PBs make exciting sandwiches—and also hors d’oeuvres, pasta sauces, and a myriad of other dishes we never imagined when dishing up those sandwiches with strawberry preserves or grape jelly.

To show you what’s happening in the world of gourmet peanut butter, we’ve highlighted the lines of three prominent artisanal producers. All have recipes on their websites, for everything from the expected (smoothies, shakes, sandwiches and desserts) to the unconventional (breakfast dishes, appetizers, soups, salads and main dishes).

P.B. Loco

P.B. Loco produces peanut butters with a very smooth and creamy style, using a small amount of partially hydrogenated oil as a stabilizer to prevent oil separation. They point out that “the amount of trans fat in our products is approximately 150 times less than what is needed to reach the FDA’s 0 grams trans fat cut-off.” Plain flavors, $5.95; specialty flavors, $6.95, per 16-ounce recyclable plastic jar. Click here for our review. P.B.Loco.com.

Peanut Better

This company makes coarser, rustic-style “natural” peanut butters, which means that they are made without hydrogenated oils or preservatives. They'll keep for at least three months if stored in a cool, dry place; there’s no need to refrigerate. If the oil starts to separate, just stir it back in. All are excellent, but the savory flavors, rather unexpected in peanut butters, are dynamite! Certified USDA Organic, and certified kosher by Orthodox Union. $5.00 per 10-ounce glass jar. Click here for our review. PeanutBetter.com.

Peanut Butter & Co.

This brand grew from a Greenwich Village café of the same name, with a menu consisting entirely of peanut butter creations. Since 1998, PB fans have made pilgrimage to dine there, and it spawned a cookbook with a foreword by Jerry Seinfeld, obviously a fan.

Standard flavors, $5.00; specialty flavors, $6.00, per 16-ounce recyclable plastic jar. ILovePeanutButter.com.

The cookbook is just $11.53 at Amazon; you can click here to purchase. Then, you can start making the 80 recipes—everything from PB cakes and cookies to baked apples with PB to PB BLTs to pad thai.

Prices and flavor availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.

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