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Comment by mordechai9000 | Hacker News Reader

For years we stored Adams natural peanut butter at room temperature with no ill effects. A large jar usually lasts less than a month. Then one day I noticed it says refrigerate after opening on the label. I wonder if that is the reason why, or if it's really prone to spoilage.

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The fridge addresses the issue of the post: oil separation; more so than spoilage.

I wish I had the discipline to keep a jar of peanut butter around long enough for it to spoil. :)

Growing up we put the peanut butter in the pantry without separation issues because my parents were either fine with or oblivious to the stabilizing additives in the mass produced peanut butter brands.

Now, when I look at the ingredients list I only want to see “peanuts”! (And maybe <1% salt)

I would guess it’s because it will just last longer in the fridge, so they’re recommending it be refrigerated. I have lots of stuff that say the same that do fine in a cool, dark pantry. Though I’m sure if I left it long enough it would spoil sooner than in the fridge.

It will spoil/go rancid. Even the 'non-natural' big brands like Jif/Skippy taste and smell 'off' if they sit out for a few weeks after being opened.

There's no winning here, because putting it in the fridge makes it hard to spread. The best approach is to take out a week's worth or so and put it in a small/airtight container. Leave that out but put the main jar in the fridge.

I've been buying 100% peanut butter for years, never stored it in a fridge and never had it go bad. Maybe your room temperature is higher? It's strange as with a single ingredient product I would expect we would have the same results...

The separation and mixing is a pain though. Love the mixer idea!

Same here. Never even thought of the fridge or what cold peanut butter would be like. I just can’t imagine it and have never needed to. Weird. In other contexts too I’ve never experienced it. Work breakfasts, hotels, I really can’t ever recall fridge temperature peanut butter. Not to mention the size pots we buy would be annoying.

I would guess it's more to do with humidity than temperature. A drier climate should inhibit rancidification. A wetter one should accelerate it.

Same here. I don't even go through it that fast -- it takes me three months or so to get through a jar.

Refrigerated peanut butter sounds like an unnecessary hardship.

We sometimes use one of these with dairy butter though I'm not sure how well it would work with peanut butter.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_butter_dish

My solution is to have 3 kids. Peanut butter has no chance of spoiling around here, we go through it like it’s going out of fashion! On a more serious note perhaps simply buy a smaller jar if it spoils before you eat it all.

My kids don't like peanut butter. How does a kid not like peanut butter?

My kid doesnt like bread. She will eat PBJ ritz crackers all day but will not touch bread. Sometimes eats my grilled cheese sandwiches but that is it.

Loves cake tho. Little debbie snack cakes, pancakes, waffles, cup cakes.

But not donuts, bread, croissants or thick pizza.

Is the common factor yeast?

Ha! Never considered that. Thanks. I will investigate.

And try different bread varieties. I adore bread and always have -- but there are certain grains and styles that I very strongly dislike.

Funny I’ve been leaving it out in the pantry for years. It just switched to the fridge only because I find it too runny at room temp. My son dribbles it everywhere trying to make pb&js.

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