Should I Stockpile Peanut Butter as a Survival Food?

Finding
the
best
products
that
have
a
long
shelf
life,
provide
the
correct
nutrition,
and
fit
a
person’s
budget
is
quite
a
balancing
act.
Peanut
butter
stands
up
to
the
rigors
of
long-term
storage
and
the
taste
test
–
it’s
delicious.

So
should
you
really
stockpile
peanut
butter
for
survival?
Is
it
a
good
idea?

Yes,
you
should
definitely
stockpile
peanut
butter
for
prepping
purposes.
It
is
an
instant
food,
rich
in
nutrients,
and
high
in
calories,
and
there
are
claims
it
will
last
for
10
years
in
powdered
form.
It
is
easily
available,
cheap,
and
also
versatile,
as
it
can
be
used
in
both
sweet
and
savory
dishes,
and
tastes
good
alone.

What
a
winner!

Store-bought
peanut
butter
will
last
for
up
to
3
years
if
stored
in
a
cool
dry
place,
but
usually
it
is
given
an
expiry
date
of
about
two
years
from
manufacture,
and
will
usually
last
a
year
longer
in
optimum
conditions.

Powdered
peanut
butter
on
the
other
hand
is
considered
to
last
anywhere
between
4
to
10
years.
The
best
known
make
of
powdered
peanut
butter
is
PB2
and
is
rehydrated
with
water,
mixing
until
a
smooth
paste
is
formed.

However,
the
nutritional
values
differ
greatly
between
natural
and
powdered
peanut
butter
–
two
tablespoons
of
natural
peanut
butter
typically
contain
around
190
calories,
whereas

powdered
peanut
butter
has
most
of
the
oil
removed
in
the
drying
process,
resulting
in
a
lot
less
calories
–
just
45
in
2
tablespoons.

Now
it
comes
to
weighing
up
whether
you
want
to
sacrifice
the
extra
calories
for
the
longer
shelf
life,
and
that
choice
is
dependent
on
your
circumstances.

Ingredients
in

Peanut

Butter

The
fats
in
natural
peanut
butter
are
healthy
monounsaturated
fats,
however
it
is
worth
checking
the
ingredients
in
commercially
made
peanut
butter
because
often
other
vegetable
fats
are
added.

If
the
label
contains
the
words
‘hydrogenated
vegetable
oil’,
you
may
want
to
avoid
it.
Olives,
soybeans
or
sunflowers
may
be
used
to
create
these
oils,
but
it
is
the
process
used
that
can
lead
to
the
creation
of
trans
fats,
which
are
not
good
for
you.

Trans
fat
consumption
has
been
linked
to
lowering
the
body’s
good
cholesterol
(HDL)
and
increasing
the
bad
cholesterol
(LDL).

Manufacturers
add
partially
hydrogenated
oils
to
increase
the
spread-ability
of
the
peanut
butter,
because
consumers
want
something
that
doesn’t
break
up
their
bread
as
they
try
to
smear
it
on.

Then
it
comes
to
sweeteners
–
some
brands
add
sugar
or
sweetener
to
make
their
peanut
butter
more
appealing.

Sometimes,
peanut
butter
can
have
a
bitter
flavour
that
isn’t
even
properly
masked
by
the
sweetness
of
the
cane
sugar.
So,
before
you
go
out
and
stock
up
on
a
brand
that’s
on
special,
rather
buy
a
few
jars
and
compare
tastes.

After
all,
when
it
comes
to
buying
30
jars
or
more
of
peanut
butter
to
stockpile
you
may
as
well
have
a
good
brand
that
the
family
will
look
forward
to
using.
Jif,
Adams
and
Skippy
are
peanut
butter
brands
that
have
been
around
a
long
time
and
are
very
popular.

Peanut
Butter
&Co
have
quite
a
few
varieties
that
include
dark
chocolate,
cinnamon
and
raisin
swirl,
as
well
as
one
that
has
honey
added.

Some
people
like
to
buy
a
machine
to
grind
their
own
peanut
butter,
because
they
then
know
exactly
what
is
going
into
it,
but
unless
you
have
a
survival
farm
and
are
busy
growing
peanuts,
it
may
not
be
the
most
practical
move
for
people
living
in
cities
or
suburbs,
because
the
peanuts
need
to
be
dry
roasted,
ground
and
the
peanut
butter
stored
in
sterilised
containers.

Most
people
don’t
have
the
time
for
this,
so
letting
a
manufacturer
take
care
of
all
this
under
sterile
conditions,
makes
sense.

Personal
Peanut
Butter
Choices

Natural
is
usually
good
but
in
the
case
of
stockpiling
peanut
butter
for
longer
periods
of
time
then
you
probably
do
need
those
preservatives
that
manufacturer’s
add
that
will
make
it
last
that
much
longer.

People
usually
fall
into
one
of
two
categories
–
smooth
peanut
butter
fans
or
crunchy
peanut
butter
fans,
and
it
is
rare
to
have
an
overlap.

Just
think
about
family
preferences
when
stockpiling
so
you
have
a
mixture
of
crunchy
and
smooth
jars
of
peanut
butter
to
keep
everyone
happy.

Some
peanut
butters
add
honey,
and
again
this
is
a
personal
choice.
Because
of
the
extra
sweetness,
peanut
butter
will
not
be
as
versatile.

For
example
you
probably
wouldn’t
add
honey
enriched
peanut
butter
to
Asian
curries
or
stir
fries.
It
may
also
be
a
little
runnier
and
stickier,
when
you
spread
it.

Then,
it
comes
to
the
choice
of
stirring
or
non-stirring
peanut
butter.
When
you
open
a
new
jar
some
of
the
oil
may
have
risen
to
the
top
and
will
need
to
be
re-incorporated.

Stirring
can
take
a
minute
or
two
but
if
you
appreciate
a
great
pure
peanut
butter
that
only
has
a
little
sea
salt
added
then
Adams
peanut
butter
is
a
good
example
of
a
stirring
peanut
butter.

Skippy
produces
a
no-stir
peanut
butter
that
is
consistently
good.
The
manufacturer
of
Jif
peanut
butter
adds
molasses
for
that
extra
flavour
that
has
kept
Jif
sales
top
in
the
USA.

The
company
has
been
around
since
1956
and
has
had
ample
time
to
perfect
the
recipe
–
and
the
117.31
million
Americans
who
consumed
it
in
2020
thought
so
too.

Identifying
“Off”
Peanut
Butter

When
stockpiling
peanut
butter,
it
needs
to
be
rotated
regularly.
It
can
go
off,
but
this
is
less
likely
to
happen
than,
for
example
with
dairy
butter.

This
is
because
peanut
butter,
although
high
in
oils,
only
has
about
2%
water,
whereas
dairy
butter
has
a
17%
water
content,
and
needs
to
be
kept
cool
so
bacteria
don’t
develop.

If
you
have
had
peanut
butter
for
a
while
and
it
is
way
past
its
expiry
date,
then
do
a
sniff
and
taste
test:

• If
  it
  tastes
  rancid
  –
  meaning
  sour
  or
  bitter,
  then
  ditch
  it.
  People
  will
  say
  that
  it
  will
  probably
  be
  OK,
  but
  in
  SHTF
  situations
  you
  may
  not
  be
  able
  to
  get
  professional
  medical
  help
  should
  food
  be
  contaminated
  and
  make
  you
  ill.
• If
  it
  has
  gone
  dry
  and
  is
  a
  darker
  color
  than
  the
  normal
  tan
  we
  associate
  with
  peanut
  butter
  then
  follow
  the
  advice
  in
  the
  point
  above
  –
  ditch
  it.
• If
  you
  open
  a
  jar
  and
  there
  is
  some
  sort
  of
  white
  or
  green
  or
  whatever
  color
  growth
  on
  it,
  don’t
  even
  think
  –
  bin
  it.

Health
Benefits
of
Peanut
Butter

Stockpiling
peanut
butter
is
a
yes
because
of
the
numerous
health
benefits,
but
these
may
vary
from
brand
to
brand
depending
on
additives.

When
stockpiling
for
emergencies
you
need
food
that
will
keep
you
fit,
not
just
full.
You
will
probably
be
moving
more
in
bug
out
situations
or
having
to
do
more
physical
work
if
electricity
fails.

To
cope,
you
need
foods
rich
in
anti-oxidants,
and
various
other
essential
vitamins
and
minerals,
high
in
fiber
and
with
sufficient
carbohydrates.

Peanut
butter
has:

• Vitamin
  E
  –
  good
  for
  skin
  and
  hair
• Niacin
  (B3)
  –
  helps
  convert
  carbohydrates
  to
  glucose
  and
  metabolizing
  fats
• Manganese
  –
  helps
  form
  connective
  tissue,
  healthy
  bones
  and
  regulates
  blood
  clotting
  as
  well
  as
  helping
  with
  regulation
  of
  blood
  sugar
• Vitamin
  B6
  –
  benefits
  metabolism
  and
  the
  central
  nervous
  system
• Magnesium
  –
  regulation
  of
  nerve
  and
  muscle
  function,
  blood
  sugar
  levels,
  blood
  pressure
• Copper
  –
  for
  bone
  health
  and
  immune
  function

A
little
peanut
butter
each
day
can
reduce
the
risk
of
heart
disease
and
is
really
good
for
you,
but,
because
of
the
calories
in
peanut
butter
it
can
lead
to
weight
gain
if
it
is
consumed
excessively.

Most
preppers
agree
that
peanut
butter
should
be
added
to
your
stockpile
because
it
is
versatile,
inexpensive,
easily
portable,
instant,
and
above
all
delicious.