Can I Use A Meat Grinder For Peanut Butter?

Suppose you'd love to make peanut butter at home, but all you have is a meat grinder. Will it suffice? Luckily, we've done plenty of research and have the answer below. Let's dive right in!

You can use a meat grinder for peanut butter. Roast the peanuts first, then grind them through the meat grinder until you get that smooth, creamy consistency of peanut butter.

In this article, we'll take you through the steps to grind your own peanut butter at home with a meat grinder. So, make sure you keep reading!

How To Make Peanut Butter In A Meat Grinder

Admittedly, a meat grinder may sound like an unconventional choice for homemade peanut butter, but if it works, it works!

Here's what you'll need:

• A bowl for transferring the peanut butter
• A jar for peanut butter storage
• Peanuts
• Salt for flavoring
• Meat grinder

Now you're ready to begin. Here are the steps to follow below:

Step 1: Peel The Peanuts (If Necessary)

If you're going for the homemade route, you might have whole, shelled peanuts.

You should break open every shell and lay out the peanuts. Halve the peanuts as well, as that only makes it easier for the meat grinder to process them when the time comes to begin grinding.

Step 2: Add The Peanuts To The Meat Grinder

Take three cups of peanuts and incrementally pour them into the meat grinder. You have the option to grind raw or roasted peanuts.

Click here to see this meat grinder on Amazon.

Step 3: Mix In Whatever Ingredients You Want

If you want the peanut butter to have a natural flavor, you needn't add anything besides peanuts.

Some people find peanut butter more palatable with a touch of salt, whereas others like a dash of sugar, cinnamon, or honey. Make the peanut butter to your taste!

Step 4: Turn On The Meat Grinder And Grind!

With the lid of the meat grinder on and the peanuts in the bowl, begin to grind the peanuts.

When using a meat grinder, you can make peanut butter at whichever consistency you choose. It's all about knowing when to stop.

If you like your peanut butter ultra-thick and chunky with large pieces of peanuts, let the peanut butter grind until it's somewhat smooth but still has noticeable chunks.

Grind the peanut butter for slightly longer for those who prefer their peanut butter a little less chunky. Watch the time, though; once those peanuts are ground, you can't make them whole again.

Of course, if regular consistency is how you enjoy peanut butter the most, you should grind until the peanut butter is nice and smooth. The peanut butter will take a few minutes to reach the desired consistency.

Tips For Making Peanut Butter In A Meat Grinder

Although some peanuts are unlikely to cause your meat grinder much harm, proper usage is still critical to ensure your meat grinder is in usable shape for another day.

The following tips will quite come in handy to that end:

Grind The Peanuts In Smaller Batches

At least at first, it's a good idea to take it easy on your meat grinder and only add the peanuts some at a time.

Gradually—if you decide to make more peanut butter at home, you can increase the number of peanuts you grind at once to see how far your meat grinder can go.

Roast Peanuts For More Peanut Butter Flavor

As discussed in the section above, you can use raw or roasted peanuts to make homemade peanut butter.

Ultimately, it's your choice, but there's something so nice about making peanut butter using roasted peanuts. That smoky, dark flavor is imparted in every spoonful.

If you're a fan of natural peanut butter especially, you'll be able to taste the smokiness. Are you interested in roasting peanuts for homemade peanut butter?

All you have to do is lay raw peanuts on a baking tray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the oven beeps, insert the tray and allow the peanuts to roast for 15 minutes. They'll look golden brown and taste utterly delicious.

Maybe set a few aside for snacking!

Always Use The Meat Grinder Cover

Peanut butter isn't an inherently messy food (unless you have a toddler in the house, then that's a different story entirely), but peanuts can be.

That's especially true when you have loose chunks of peanuts flying all over your kitchen. That fate can befall you if you don't use the lid that came with your meat grinder.

You'll have difficulty getting all those peanuts out, so save yourself the stress and always use the cover!

Can A Food Processor Grind Peanut Butter?

You'd love to make homemade peanut butter, but all you have is a food processor, not a meat grinder.

Well, you're in luck, as a food processor is another handy tool for making your own fresh, flavorful peanut butter.

Check out this food processor on Amazon.

The following recipe comes courtesy of the lifestyle blog Love and Lemons.

You'll need the following ingredients:

• Sea salt
• Peanuts (three cups, salted or unsalted, raw or roasted)

Nope, the ingredients list is not long at all.

Once you have what you need, it's time to get started. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Pour Peanuts Into The Food Processor

Depending on the size of your food processor, you can add in all three cups of peanuts or go one cup at a time. You should ideally have a medium-sized food processor to make peanut butter.

Step 2: Run The Food Processor

Put the lid of your food processor on and plug in the machine. Pulse the peanuts for 30 to 60 seconds, then stop.

Step 3: Clean The Bowl Periodically

With a rubber spatula, clean the sides of the bowl. This will reduce how much the food processor motor has to work so you can continue to use the food processor to make all sorts of goodies.

Step 4: Repeat

Keep running the food processor in short bursts, then stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula.

At first, you'll have very chunky peanut butter. If that's fine for you, then stop here. Should you want a creamier consistency, then don't be afraid if the ingredients thicken and become ball-like.

If you keep going, the peanut butter will eventually have a smoother and creamier consistency. It should take about eight or 10 minutes to make peanut butter in a food processor.

What Is The Best Way To Store Homemade Peanut Butter?

As we discussed earlier, you should use a bowl when making peanut butter in a meat grinder. The peanut butter will be in the processing bowl for a food processor.

You can't leave the peanut butter where it is, so be sure to transfer it to an airtight container such as a mason jar. Now that you've made it, how long will the homemade peanut butter last?

The peanut butter will be good for about two weeks in an airtight container in a room-temperature environment such as your countertop or pantry.

Ideally, you should refrigerate it to extend its shelf life. The peanut butter will be good for about two or three months in the fridge, provided it stays in an airtight container the entire time.

If the peanut butter spoils sooner than that, you won't be able to miss it, as the rancidity will be pretty distinct. You'll want to pinch your nose at how strong the smell is!

The color of the peanut butter will usually darken, and its texture will become hard and dry. These other signs confirm that your peanut butter is well past its use-by date.

To Finish Up

Making peanut butter at home is as easy as running peanuts through a meat grinder. You can also use a food processor. Both produce healthier, creamier, yummy-tasting peanut butter free of preservatives.

If you like this content, be sure to check out our other posts:

What Can I Use If I Don't Have a Food Processor? [22 Alternatives]

Sunflower Butter Vs. Peanut Butter – How Do They Compare?