Peanut Butter

May 27, 2014 1:19 PM

Peanut Butter, home made. Alton Brown shows you how to make peanut butter. All you need is a wok and a food processor (and, of course some peanuts, and some peanut oil, and a little salt). You KNOW you're going to try this.
posted by HuronBob (42 comments total)

Roasted almonds. Coconut oil.

Blend in food processor, adding more coconut oil until it's creamy.

Add kosher salt to taste.

Try not to eat the entire batch before it gets to the fridge.
posted by lostburner at 1:23 PM on May 27, 2014 [4 favorites]

Best to watch with the sound off, unless you like lip smacking noises and mumbling.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 1:25 PM on May 27, 2014 [5 favorites]

Steal this guy's delicious idea, and add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper for Chai Spice Nut Butter.
posted by Maecenas at 1:27 PM on May 27, 2014 [13 favorites]

I make cinnamon-almond butter, maple-almond butter, maple peanut butter, and vegan Nutella. A food processor and a Blendtec are wonderful things to own.
posted by Kitteh at 1:29 PM on May 27, 2014

It's funny because he's talking with his mouth full of peanut butter.
posted by Nelson at 1:29 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Alton Brown is a national treasure. Check out the other videos on his YouTube account. They're great too.
posted by Aizkolari at 1:33 PM on May 27, 2014

If you find the video presentation annoying, the recipe is here.

Did he miss a step? At around :50 in the video, he says, "We're gonna need the [peanut] oil anyway" which made me think he was going to have us drizzle the leftover cooking oil into the food processor, but I don't see any more mention of it.
posted by Mothlight at 1:38 PM on May 27, 2014

Alton Brown is a national treasure

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.
posted by Captain Chesapeake at 1:42 PM on May 27, 2014 [21 favorites]

Plus, he looks unnervingly like Thomas Dolby.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:46 PM on May 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

I do mine in a Vitamix, which I have on hand for historical reasons. To get it really smooth, I have to push the thing pretty hard. Considering how obscenely overpowered Vitamixes are, I assumed that this meant that you can't really do it in a regular food processor. I guess I was wrong?
posted by gurple at 1:46 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

Ugh. That...oof. I'm glad Good Eats is done or else I'd have to stop watching it. I had no idea.
posted by jedicus at 1:55 PM on May 27, 2014

Plus, he looks unnervingly like Thomas Dolby.

He looks like he's dropped a ton of weight since Good Eats. I hope he's okay.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:56 PM on May 27, 2014

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

And a seething heretic because...crunchy.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:56 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

I used to have a Mister Peanut peanut butter maker -- a big plastic structure shaped like Mr. Peanut. You put the nuts in his hat and turned a crank, and peanut butter came out of the place where his ear should be, but wasn't in this iteration. It was great stuff, though. The thing is, the machine was a grinder, not a chopper, like the difference between a meat grinder and a food processor. There are large portable versions of peanut grinders taken around to peanut fields in places like India. Oil is expressed from the nuts in the grinding and you didn't have to add anything. Alton Brown is making finely chopped nut spread, not peanut butter. (And roasted is better than fried, Alton. Brings up the oil.)
posted by CCBC at 1:56 PM on May 27, 2014

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

I did not know that. That sucks. Thanks for the info.
posted by Aizkolari at 1:58 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

That does suck, and also now I want a pork tenderloin sandwich. I miss them.
posted by asperity at 2:05 PM on May 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

The problem I have is that I hate cleaning my food processor more than I like homemade peanut butter.
posted by srboisvert at 2:09 PM on May 27, 2014 [22 favorites]

He looks like he's dropped a ton of weight since Good Eats. I hope he's okay.

Yeah, he decided a few years ago that he wanted/needed to lose weight, so he retooled his diet. There were rumors that he'd had heart issues, but everything I can find just says that he decided to do it prophylactically.
posted by asterix at 2:19 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

Dude made some shitty jokes (of which we're depending fully on some food blog for context and delivery) and doesn't like the FDA (which is a completely reasonable position to anybody who likes raw/whole food). I've seen Alton speak before. He tries to be funny and often is. He also makes some jokes that fall flat. He also probably does hundreds of speeches/talks a year.

Now, the mountain of incredibly informative, entertaining, and largely independent food programing he's created is rendered radioactive for some people. I didn't think purity tests had gotten to food personalities yet.
posted by lattiboy at 2:54 PM on May 27, 2014 [9 favorites]

Now, the mountain of incredibly informative, entertaining, and largely independent food programing he's created is rendered radioactive for some people.

Pretty much yep

See also: RuPaul, Bianca del Rio
posted by dontjumplarry at 3:01 PM on May 27, 2014

which made me think he was going to have us drizzle the leftover cooking oil into the food processor, but I don't see any more mention of it.

He's discussing the differences between roasting the peanuts and frying them. The oil he's talking about is that which the peanuts are being fried in.
posted by hwyengr at 3:03 PM on May 27, 2014

I've had mixed or poor results with food processor produced nut butters. Kind of wonder if I could make small batches in a molcajete.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:47 PM on May 27, 2014

When I make a batch in the Vitamix, I get the side effect that you get with everything you do in a Vitamix, which is that it comes out really warm. Really warm, gooey, absolutely fresh peanut butter. First thing I do is start dipping good chocolate in it and eat about half the batch.
posted by gurple at 3:51 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

I like Alton for bringing science to TV cooking whereas some shows are more about convenience but he really is a bit taken with himself and makes everything unnecessarily precious. When he started his motorcycle tour show you just knew he was going to crash, at about 20 MPH, which he did. It was a metaphor for his cooking style. He's more of a check the oil on your Toyota Alphard every 300 miles than a motorcycle person.

"Plus, he looks unnervingly like Thomas Dolby." Hyperactive is a fantastic tune and video from 1984. Thanks for reminding me Chrysostom.
posted by vapidave at 3:52 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Too much work for me. Trader Joe's roasted peanuts in a Vitamix.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:57 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: You put the nuts in his hat.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:00 PM on May 27, 2014

I don't eat peanut butter anymore, but almond butter is a staple. The various no-stir types I've found in the store has too much added crap I don't want, and it's not cheap. So one day I found a very simple recipe... I've made it from scratch many times... Roasted almonds (I like light sea salt) and unsweetened ground coconut to hold it together - that's it. Chop together in food processor until it's how you like. I've found that "chunky" works better with the bulk of the almonds mixed to mostly creamy with the last handful thrown in within the last few seconds of mixing. If you try to get chunky throughout and chop the whole mixture for a shorter time, it ends up too chunky and not really mixed through. It tastes better than nearly anything I've bought in a jar and is often cheaper, depending on almond prices...
posted by krinklyfig at 4:25 PM on May 27, 2014 [3 favorites]

I went through my phase where I wanted to be Alton Brown, with his world-famous slogan, "convenience and quality are rarely seen holding hands" as my mission statement forever, then I realized I'm a single guy in a studio apartment on a budget with one of those job things.

I've found you can learn much from this maestro, but I don't use a lot of it. The stinky, muddy, hot water my Mr. Coffee produces is just fine, thanks, though it is nice to know how to up my game with a press.

As for this...making my own whaaaaah? JIF is great stuff man.

It's good to take these little walks with AB and all, but no sir, I am not strapping little meat slices to a box fan to make jerky.

P.S. Some blogger said he made some awkward comments once. So whats. Led Zeppelin didn't write all of their own songs. Mad at them, too?
posted by NedKoppel at 5:05 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

JIF is awful, sorry.
posted by mbatch at 5:10 PM on May 27, 2014

And then he went on to inveigh against Walmart, for destroying small businesses as well as its own suppliers, just so that the American public can enjoy a can of Chinese-made chili for 39 cents.

Holy crap, is this a thing now? Canned goods and processed foods from China in US supermarkets? Are we that certain their food supply is safe?
posted by crapmatic at 5:21 PM on May 27, 2014

Alton Brown is entirely replaceable by a copy of McGee's Food and Cooking and a 9'th grade science class.
posted by angerbot at 6:33 PM on May 27, 2014 [4 favorites]

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

I don't doubt anything in this article, or the author's conclusions. However, I am flabbergasted that there is a seafood restaurant in coastal North Carolina that does not have hush puppies on the menu. I mean, I thought it was a law or something.
posted by 4ster at 7:22 PM on May 27, 2014 [2 favorites]

Alton Brown is at best insensitive to marginalized groups.

Whoa. That's not 'at best insensitive,' that's outright mockery and disdain. "If that guy on the other side is also your dad I'm in the wrong state"???

WTF?

That's pretty well undone the mountains and mountains of thanks and goodwill I had for this guy.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:43 PM on May 27, 2014

I saw Alton Brown in Rochester, New York. He gave a pretty good presentation, and his jokes were obviously improvised, entertaining, and more to the point, funny. They weren't racist, homophobic or sexist.

Halfway through, the smoke from the cooking on stage set off the fire alarm. Alton took it in stride; he quipped that now would be a good time to enjoy a cigar if we were so disposed.

I thought that was pretty fucking cool.

So, everyone in the auditorium had to evacuate the building, as per New York State rules, and then the Rochester Fire Dept. showed up, turned off the alarms, and we all trooped back into the building. And Alton finished the show to a standing ovation.
posted by valkane at 7:43 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Whoa. That's not 'at best insensitive,' that's outright mockery and disdain. "If that guy on the other side is also your dad I'm in the wrong state"???

WTF?

That's pretty well undone the mountains and mountains of thanks and goodwill I had for this guy.

To be fair, I think his "I'm in the wrong state" crack was intended as a joke about Iowa's (perhaps unfair) reputation as a bastion of Midwestern conservatism, and not really "Ooh, gross: a gay!"

Having said that, as someone who was once a big fan of Good Eats, I have grown tired of Alton Brown's on-air persona, at least in the form it's taken in his recently ubiquitous presence as the face and voice of countless mean-spirited Food Network competitive reality shows. There's a difference between prickliness and prickishness, and somewhere along the way he seems to have crossed that line.

However, do yourself a favor, and listen to his recent hilarious and fascinating podcast interview with John Hodgman. I just happened to do so this afternoon, and it has more or less restored my faith in the man.
posted by Atom Eyes at 8:20 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Alton Brown is entirely replaceable by a copy of McGee's Food and Cooking and a 9'th grade science class.

I finished 9th grade (science included) and I have a copy of Harold McGee's book right here beside me. I'm here to tell you, Alton Brown's talents as a writer, TV producer, host, cook and generally creative guy make him irreplaceable.

I owe this man a huge debt, because if I hadn't followed him in the early years of good eats, I never would have bought his first book (I'm Just Here For The Food).

And if I'd never bought that book, I would never have read about (one of) Alton's inspirations, John Thorne. Because Alton is the kinda guy that throws around a lot of credit where credit is due.

And knowing about John Thorne is enough for me to forgive any jokes that might have fallen flat on any stage anywhere.

So, yeah, I'm biased.
posted by valkane at 8:29 PM on May 27, 2014

Regardless of his personal politics, people who assume that they are entitled to order whatever meal it is possible to make out of the restaurant's ingredients are almost invariably assholes.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 8:38 PM on May 27, 2014 [4 favorites]

Regardless of his personal politics, people who assume that they are entitled to order whatever meal it is possible to make out of the restaurant's ingredients are almost invariably assholes.

I agree totally with this statement. But....

That's not what's going on here. If it were you or me, ordering off the menu, or talking about going into the kitchen is total bullshit. But if you're a food rock star, it has different levels of meaning.

Also, this was Alton talking shit in a presentation to other people anecdotally. He was using the story to illustrate how almost any dish can be made if you have the right ingredients and technique, which is arguably his shtick.

Anyway, this wasn't TGIFridays. He was mouthing off about being able to step up and jam, not perhaps with The Stones, but maybe The Stone Roses? And I doubt the chef would say no.

Ok, I'm done defending Alton Fucking Brown. I like his peanut butter recipe.
posted by valkane at 9:09 PM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

FWIW, my local whole foods market (not actually Whole Food) has bulk peanut butter that they grind in-house at least weekly.
posted by plinth at 3:03 AM on May 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

jokes that might have fallen flat on any stage anywhere

'jokes' (and these didn't read to me as jokes) aren't funny when they're someone with immense privilege mocking queers and people of colour.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:44 AM on May 28, 2014

I make my own peanut butter about every week and a half and there's no reason to fry your own peanuts: buy two pounds of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts from Trader Joes or wherever. Put in a Cuisinart with 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tsps salt. Run the machine until it gets to a smooth, steady-state fluid. Eat with a spoon.

Be careful with Planters nuts: they have a dry-roasted, unsalted package that has garlic powder. It's tasty, but doesn't really go with jelly quite right.
posted by mikewebkist at 9:17 AM on May 28, 2014 [2 favorites]

I don't doubt anything in this article, or the author's conclusions. However, I am flabbergasted that there is a seafood restaurant in coastal North Carolina that does not have hush puppies on the menu. I mean, I thought it was a law or something.

No. The law pertains to * barbecue restaurants * .
posted by NedKoppel at 2:23 PM on May 28, 2014