Peanut butter is a food staple in many American kitchens, and comes in many different varieties, including sugar-free, sodium-free, smooth, chunky, organic, natural and regular. Except for those with peanut allergies and the people who don’t care for the substance, many people have personal preferences preference for at least one of the many types available today.
Regular peanut butter is available in many brands. The amount of partially-hydrogenated oil and sugar varies between brands, but regular versions always have added oil and sugar. They don’t separate the way natural peanut butter does. Regular versions also contain preservatives so they don’t have to be refrigerated after opening in most cases. There are some no or low sodium and low or no sugar added brands of regular peanut butter on the market today as well.
Natural peanut butter is made of only ground peanuts without added oil, sugar or preservatives. Many people want to choose this type because they don’t want the added oil and sugar, but are put off by the inconvenience of all the natural oils going to the top of the jar. Some people deal with this by transferring the peanut butter from the jar into a covered container to keep in the fridge and then stirring the oils into the rest of the product occasionally. Natural peanut butter needs to be refrigerated because it lacks preservatives.
There are also organic peanut butters. They’re usually made without sugar, salt and preservatives, but you’ll need to check the label to be sure. Organic means only that the peanuts used were grown without pesticides. Though these versions are often more expensive than natural or regular, many people prefer the idea of consuming pesticide-free peanuts. Organic peanut butter typically requires refrigeration after opening.
Most type of peanut butters are usually all available in a choice of smooth or chunky styles. Chunky, or crunchy versions have some finely chopped peanuts in them. Smooth versions has no chopped peanuts and is also known as creamy peanut butter.