Monday, July 12, 2010

Peanut butter

I love peanut butter! My stepmom used to put it into the frig...urg...it would really tear up the bread! PB&;J was always a fav (in college I had to mix the two together so my roommate, who thought it looked gross, would leave it alone!) My mom used to mix it with the bananas that were going a bit off...dissappeared so fast! O, then she taught me to spread each slice with peanut butter and put thin slices of apple in between...YUM!  I had to try the 'natural' kind sold in the health store in later years. What a pain! Had to mix the old into the butter! and it didn't taste any better!
Why am I ranting on about peanut butter?
Because I get to try something new for me and I am giddy with excitement! Tropical Traditions is sending me some of their organic Coconut Peanut Butter! This is how they described it:
Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is made from organic peanuts and organic coconut. Two ingredients: nothing else! No fillers, no binders, no sweeteners, and no preservatives. The peanuts are 100% organic Valencia peanuts grown organically by family farmers in New Mexico and Texas. Grown in the dry climate of the southwestern United States, these peanuts are certified organic and free from aflatoxins. The dried coconut is certified organic coconut meat from the Philippines from coconuts that are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. This premium dried coconut contains no additives or preservatives, and is not sweetened. Unlike most dried coconut on the market, our dried coconut products are not treated with sulfites to keep them white. Together, these premium organic roasted peanuts and the premium organic dried coconut are ground together to make a delicious and nutritious spread!
organic_coconut_peanut_butter_photo.jpg
No additives...nothing but coconut and peanut butter. I am hoping it is natually creamy and I can cook with it too...in dandan noodles and saty. I shall see soon and report back to you on how well it spread, etc.
O, this is what is on the label if you want to compare it with your current peanut butter now:
Organic Coconut Peanut Butter Nutritional Panel
16 oz. size
Ingredients:Organic Dried Coconut, Organic Roasted Valencia Peanuts
Here's a bit more about peanuts Tropical Traditions uses:

What Makes Valencia Peanuts Unique

We call them nuts, but like all peanuts, Valencias are legumes, more closely related to peas and beans with one important difference: they grow beneath the ground.
Valencias are smaller, sweeter and have more intense flavor than other varieties of peanuts. They have three to five kernels in each shell and are grown almost exclusively in eastern New Mexico. In fact 90% of the Valencia peanuts produced in the US are grown within 120 miles of the Sunland plant. Portales claims the honor of being the "Valencia Peanut Basin of the Nation."
Farmers plant Valencia peanuts in May in the sandy soil of eastern New Mexico and west Texas. From a single peanut comes a beautiful plant which blooms in late August. Each blossom drops a "peg" which implants itself into the ground to grow a tasty Valencia peanut...more than 20 per plant.
Valencia peanuts love the sandy soil of the Portales valley and the surrounding high plains. After the peanuts are dug in the fall, they dry naturally in the sunny autumn days which are unique to the area. It's a climate that is vital for the Valencia- a time for the peanuts to be "kissed by the sun" before they're gathered for processing.
The peanuts destined for New Mexico's only peanut butter plant are shelled and roasted, and most of the red skins removed. Then the peanuts go through several crushing and mixing areas.