This avocado oil mayonnaise recipe is a paleo twist to a condiment classic and probably the answer to your dreams.

I am obsessed with homemade mayonnaise, but in making it, I often compromise on the quality of the ingredients used, especially the oil component. I reach for the most neutral-tasting oil that also happens to be the least nutritious oil in my pantry. Enter: avocado oil. Avocado oil is a notch more fragrant than neutral oils, such as canola, vegetable, and safflower oil; and more neutral than, say, olive oil. But, like olive oil, avocado oil offers a host of health benefits. It is rich in oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, as well as lutein, an antioxidant that improves eye health.

Avocado Oil Mayonnaise Recipe

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 large pasture-raised egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

Directions

Add the egg, mustard, vinegar, and salt to a food processor. Blend for 30 seconds. Turn off the food processor and scrape down the sides of the container. Turn the food processor back on and begin to slowly (read: very slowly) pour the avocado oil into the chute as the mixture is blending. As you pour, you will notice that the oil begins to emulsify with the other ingredients.

Once all of the oil has been poured into the food processor, add the lemon and garlic while continuing to blend for another 30 seconds. Turn the machine off and check the taste of the mayonnaise. Add in more salt as you see fit. This is also the time you can adapt the recipe with the addition of fresh herbs and spices. I personally like to add a dash of freshly-ground black pepper.

Enjoy the avocado mayonnaise as you would regular mayonnaise – as a dip, spread, or sauce!

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The post Here’s the Paleo Avocado Oil Mayonnaise You Probably Can’t Live Without Now appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWhen a vegan mayonnaise company says it’s out to change the world, people listen. After all, we’ve gotten used to mediocre mayonnaise that does little more than add a glistening tang to sandwiches and salad dressings. But can Hampton Creek, the San Francisco-based eggless mayo brand, do what it claims? We go behind the label to find out.

Founded in 2011 by Joshua Tetrick, Hampton Creek Foods, Inc., has sprouted up more like a drought-stricken California wildfire than a sandwich spread. With significant funding from the tech world, Hampton Creek was able to quickly get placement in a rather unexciting category.

The Good

Its biggest achievement, aside from what many people say is quite a tasty product, is achieving its mayonnaise-like spread without the use of eggs, which are used in traditional mayonnaise. Hampton Creek relies instead on pea protein, making its eggless mayonnaise vegan.

That achievement alone earned it praise, as the egg industry is considered to be one of the cruelest: Egg-laying hens live in small cages where disease and injury are commonplace. Most egg-laying hens never see the outdoors or get to spread their wings.

Aside from its consideration for animals, Hampton Creek says it’s also focused on making an affordable, delicious, and healthy product for American consumers. The company had received significant retail support, including placement of its mayo in Dollar Tree stores, Target, and Walmart. The company says Just Mayo is now in more than 20,000 stores—quite an accomplishment, considering it’s not yet four years old.

These goals—animal-free and affordable for everyone—also take the environment into consideration. According to the company, Hampton Creek’s products (there’s also eggless cookie dough and cookies, but they’re not yet as big of a focus for the brand as its mayo product) have a low carbon footprint. Earlier this month, the company was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, landing on a list of 49 of the most innovative companies in the world, according to the Hampton Creek website.

CEO and Founder Josh Tetrick earned praise when he penned a recent open letter to the 2016 presidential candidates that appeared in the New York Times.

“You have an opportunity to solve an epic problem,” he wrote. “Our outdated food system is the thread running through our most important problems, from diabetes and obesity (health care), to food deserts (race relations), to the decline of our family farms (economy). Folks don’t believe good food for everyone is possible.”

Tetrick’s letter pointed to an ongoing issue that’s not addressed as often or seriously as it should be. And considering that most of the presidential candidates are linked to the industries that perpetuate our bad food problem, Tetrick’s move was bold, even if it was also a bit self-serving in nature.

The company also appeared as the victorious underdog when Unilever, parent company to Hellman’s mayonnaise, dropped a 2014 lawsuit over the use of the word “mayonnaise” on the Hampton Creek products. Unilever cited a decades-old definition of mayonnaise that included egg as an ingredient, and the multinational corporation claimed that Hampton Creek was misusing the term and confusing customers. Clearly a play at preserving its large market share (Unilever also forced its biggest rival Kraft to call Miracle Whip a “dressing” rather than mayo), the Unilever lawsuit was eventually dropped. Hampton Creek was celebrated for not only getting a Big Food brand to back down, but for bringing validity to egg substitutes as legitimate alternative ingredients.

The Bad

Despite its satisfied customer base, a recent media exposé pointed to numerous claims of wrongdoing at the corporate offices of Hampton Creek Foods, Inc.

Among the accusations are those of misleading marketing around a supposed “plant database” that the company used to increase its funding. One former employee called it a “food company masquerading as a tech company.” Now valued at $300 million, the company achieved that by securing heavy funding from Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin, and Salesforce CEO and founder Marc Benioff, as well as significant support from Bill Gates.

Former employees Business Insider spoke with said Hampton Creek exaggerated the number of plant samples it had analyzed: “One person said that the actual number was below 1,000. Another said, ‘when they were saying 4,000, it was probably closer to 400. At least 5x less than it was claimed, and that’s conservatively.’”

The deception may not matter so much on your sandwich, especially if you like the way Just Mayo tastes, but the former employees say it’s proof that the company isn’t as selfless as it may it seem—it may be trying to change the world with mayonnaise, but it appears it’s also trying to get rich and boost Tetrick into the spotlight as well. Nor is Hampton Creek employing the science and research that it cited to help raise funding. “When the mayo was launched, it would turn brown when added to seafood salads or completely break down in other recipes,” former employees told Business Insider. “The company didn’t know this until after it shipped.”

Former employees also point to mislabeled ingredients on product labels—a small difference between lemon juice and lemon juice concentrate, but one that’s technically inaccurate, which goes against FDA guidelines.

There are other claims still about changing severance package details on already signed employee contracts, and inappropriate relationships between Tetrick, 35, and female employees. Josh Tetrick responded to the claims here.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a dairy-free and egg-free mayonnaise product, Hampton Creek certainly fits that description. So does the Vegenaise brand of products and the less common, but still beloved, Nayonaise. While Hampton Creek’s mayo is free from genetically modified ingredients, it’s not organic. (Vegenaise makes an organic mayo product if you’re looking.)

The price point on Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo is lower than Vegenaise, but still higher than traditional mayo. (A 30-ounce jar retails for about $10).

And when it comes to flavor—that’s certainly a personal decision. I’ve tried all vegan mayonnaise products available and find Vegenaise to have the best flavor and consistency, though I’m not going to turn down a sandwich with Just Mayo on it. I do, however, find it to be a little gummier in texture than the clean mouth feel of Vegenaise.

When it comes to ethics, Hampton Creek is clearly not as picture-perfect as it has tried to make itself out to be. But those values in companies, just like individuals, are truly rare. As a young brand with a firm mission, there’s still a lot of time for Hampton Creek and Tetrick to sort out any ill behavior and misconduct, and put the brand on the path to really and truly changing the world for the better. At the very least, we can expect to look forward to a pretty decent sandwich or two.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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Image via Hampton Creek’s Facebook

The post Can Hampton Creek Foods, Inc. Change the World With Mayonnaise? Behind the Label appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you haven’t yet tasted Hampton Creek’s vegan mayonnaise called “Just Mayo”, you can now head down to your local dollar store and pick up a jar.

That’s right…while it seems pretty counterintuitive, the two-year old vegan mayonnaise brand is targeting stores like Dollar Tree along with Costco, Safeway, and Kroger, in order to reach a market beyond the Whole Foods gourmet vegan mayo buyer. The company wants the Hellmann’s and Miracle Whip customer to give egg-free mayo a try.

Vegenaise, the popular (ridiculously delicious) vegan mayonnaise that’s a staple in every natural food cooler section has succeeded in nabbing the natural food customer, but no brand has taken an egg-free vegan mayo into the mainstream like Hampton Creek is attempting. “Just Mayo’s ambition is far bigger: to replace conventional eggs altogether as the default ingredient in homemade potato salads and restaurant dressings,” reports QZ.

“This isn’t just going to happen in San Francisco, in a world of vegans,” Hampton Creek CEO Josh Tetrick told Mother Jones. “This is going to happen in Birmingham, Alabama. This is going to happen in Missouri, in Philadelphia.” And the reviews support the goal: taste tests haven’t been able to differentiate between Just Mayo and conventional brands, or they liked it just as much. Mayonnaise brands all rely on similar ingredients including oil, water and lemon, but Just Mayo uses a pea protein instead of eggs as the emulsifier.

What’s so great about Tetrick’s approach is the faith he has in lower income shoppers to make healthier and more ethical choices. Do you really need to share a zip code with a Whole Foods to want to do that? When it makes economical sense and tastes good why wouldn’t lower income families choose to do so?

Hampton Creek isn’t stopping with its vegan mayonnaise, either. It’s replacing eggs in a baking product called Beyond Eggs, a Just Cookies raw cookie dough and an Egg Beaters rival called Just Scrambles. For egg-laying hens, this is incredibly good news, because to produce conventionally-raised eggs, they live in some of the most egregious factory-farm conditions on earth. And for humans, it means a decreased risk of foodborne pathogens common in eggs such as salmonella. It also means feeling good about a purchase not contributing to animal cruelty. And at Dollar Store prices, it may even be less expensive than products that can’t say the same.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Image via Hampton Creek

The post Upscale Gourmet Vegan Mayonnaise At…The Dollar Store?   appeared first on EcoSalon.

This homemade mayonnaise recipe will knock your socks off.  It’s truly egg-cellent. And hello, as with all homemade goodness, you can say goodbye to high fructose corn syrup and creepy preservatives.  

We are bring it back old school style with elbow grease (no this is not an ingredient), by whisking this mayonnaise recipe rather than using an electric egg beater. Here are step by step instructions, and tips, on how to make an outstandingly simple and delicious homemade mayonnaise recipe.

Yields about 2 cups of mayonnaise 

Ingredients

3 organic egg yolks
1 ½ to 2 1/4 cups of vegetable oil such as grapessed or safflower
3 to 5 tablespoons of organic lemon juice or vinegar
½ tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon dry or prepared mustard
2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1. Before you start, have all ingredients at room temperature.  Even warm your mixing bowl with hot water and then dry it.

2. Add the organic egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky. Once they reach this consistency, you know they can absorb the oil.

3. Add the organic lemon juice or vinegar, salt and mustard, then beat for 30 seconds more.

4. Slowly add the oil, drip by drip, while continuing to beat the egg yolks. *Keep your eye on the oil, not the sauce.  Every 10 seconds or so, stop pouring but continue beating.  When the sauce thickens, almost to a heavy cream consistency, you can add the oil a bit faster, but still slowly.

5. If the mixture becomes too thick, you can stop adding oil and add a bit more organic lemon juice or vinegar to thin it out.

6. Beat in 2 tablespoons of boiling water into the sauce as an anti-curdling agent.

7. Add more of the salt or mustard for taste if you’d like. Et, voila, a delicious mayonnaise recipe!

Want some delicious recipes to add your homemade mayonnaise to?

White Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger Recipe

Caramelized Onion and Smoked Gouda Panini Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

Image: Flickr user Jules 

The post Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe: Ditch the Hydrogenated Oils (But Not the Flavor) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Easy to make recipes for a 4th of July bbq revamp.

Nothing captures the 4th of July quite like images of outdoor eating with family and friends. It marks the beginning of barbecue season and kicks off the summer with cheer. All is fun and games until you stop by the food table, which boasts fare that is everything but forgiving to your waistline. But there’s no need to miss out on that which makes the 4th of July so special! We’ve revamped typical July 4th barbecue dishes so that you can have a happier and healthier holiday feast without missing out on the tastes you expect from an outdoor summer celebration.

Potato Salad

Mayonnaise makes this otherwise vegetable-centric dish a nightmare for health enthusiasts. One tablespoon of mayonnaise contains some 90 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 5 milligrams of cholesterol. These stats alone are reason why the potato salad actively contributes to heart disease and weight gain.

Switch up the traditional recipe with a Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Herbed Vinaigrette, which includes hearty  dried cranberries, nuts, parsley, sage and arugula. And whistle while you work to a playlist fit for a potato salad maker!

Burgers

We’ve explored the nutritional downfall of the Big Mac, but homemade versions are not always much better. If you are still using white buns and cooking animal protein, there still exists the hurdle of empty calories and saturated fat.

To give the burger a healthy twist, use a whole-wheat or whole-grain bun and cut the saturated fat by using lean cuts of meat and reducing other superfluous additions, such as bread crumbs and egg yolks. For a much healthier alternative, nix the animal protein and opt for a Chickpea Burger. Not only is this variation healthier but also packs a ton of flavor.

Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are severely low on the scale of nutritional value. Hot dogs are processed meat crammed with some 18 grams of fat per serving. They clog arteries and increase the risk for heart disease. Hot dogs are also loaded with sodium – up to 1,000 milligram – leading to weight gain, water retention, bloating and increased blood pressure.

When searching for a hot dog to lay out on the grill, keep your eyes on nutrition labels. Look for a brand with no more then 3 grams or less of saturated fat and 370 milligrams or less of sodium per serving. Remember that the less ingredients there are, the better for your health the hot dog is bound to be. Avoid white flour buns and opt for either a whole-wheat or whole-grain bun or eat the hot dog wedged between lettuce leaves. Avoid sugar and sodium-packed condiments and opt for a topping of fresh vegetables. Check out the My Vegan Cookbook website for an excellent Seitan Hot Dog recipe.

Chips

Original variations often included the preservative, Butylhydroxytoluene, commonly known as BHT. This fat-soluble chemical is also used in petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. BHT can lead to cancer when consumed in high amounts. Other health violations include high levels of sodium, artery-clogging trans-fats and calories. However, there are now so many brands offering healthy alternatives – vegetable-based or baked –without sacrificing the taste and crunch.

Homemade chips may be an intimidating endeavor, but they’re much more hassle-free than you think. Try these simple Sweet Potato Chips and then individualize them with your favorite spices and oils, like as was done for these Mustard and Dill Potato Chips.

Pickles

Pickles are essentially cucumbers that have soaked in vinegar and salt and fermented over time. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average 4-inch long dill pickle has about 1,181 milligrams of sodium, which is nearly your maximum daily intake requirement. As a basis of comparison, a 4-inch cucumber prior to pickling contains only 6 milligrams of sodium.

To avoid the sodium overload, soak a sliced cucumber in a bowl with red apple cider vinegar for a few hours before serving. The cucumbers will soak in the sourness of the vinegar without the addition of salt. If you are keen on the pickled effect, homemade pickling is a great way to control what goes into the process. Fermented vegetables are exceptionally good for you. The healthy bacteria created during pickling benefits your gut flora when consumed, improving digestion. Try the Healthy Green Kitchen blog’s Spicy Lemon Cucumber Pickles, which keeps the sodium in check and the flavor on high!

Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is a health violation that really shouldn’t be. All is well until the butter is slathered and the salt is shaken one too many times. To make this July 4th staple healthier, try brushing the corn with olive oil instead of butter to ensure less saturated fat. Also, dash salt into your palm first, as opposed to shaking it directly over the corn, in order to avoid over seasoning.

To bring some extra nutritional value to the dish, chop some chives, parsley, garlic, dill, or any of your favorite herbs and mix them with olive oil before applying to the corn.

Baked Beans

Beans are full of heart-healthy fiber and plant-based protein, but canned baked beans are often so full of sugar, their nutritional benefits are canceled out. The sugary syrup that canned beans generally come with will only cause an increase in blood sugar and insulin levels, contributing to heart disease and diabetes.

Check out the Homemade Classic Baked Beans from the Recipe Renovator blog to slim down the traditional recipe without compromising taste or texture.

Condiments

Ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayonnaise are barbecue mainstays, and for good reason. We often don’t realize how heavily we rely on them to kick up the flavor, and we often ignore their significance in our daily diets. However, it’s in these condiments where we find those empty calories. Ketchup, mustard, and relish are no stranger to sugar, sodium, and preservatives while mayonnaise has a lot of artery-clogging saturated fat.

Why settle for store-bought sugar and sodium-packed condiments when you can make your own in a matter of minutes? Even if you aren’t slicing the fat and calories, it’s always important to keep the ingredients real and untainted by preservatives, coloring and other sketchy add-ins.

Seltzer with Bitters

Regular soft drinks have been linked to stroke risk, elevated blood pressure, obesity, cancer and kidney failure. They’re full of sugar, and even their zero-calorie alternatives hold some dreaded preservatives and chemicals.

Get the bubbly without the downsides. Prepare a Honey, Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary and expect to quench your thirst in a much more refreshing and aromatic way.

Dessert

A lot can go wrong come dessert time. First there’s the obvious bad guys – nutritionally-empty white sugar and white flour – and then there’s the addition of butter that has you worried.

Try your hand at some healthier alternatives, such as Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Sea Salt, Avocado Chocolate Pudding, Fig and Coconut Walnut Cake, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Vegan Strawberry Shortcake. These recipes are forgiving to the waistline and overall easy crowd pleasers.

Photo by The Recipe Renovator. © 2012. Used with permission.

The post Extreme Makeover: Revamping the Traditional 4th of July BBQ appeared first on EcoSalon.

Condiments take up a lot of room in our fridge. What are all those crusty containers? It’s time to take control of the fridge (and diets) in our lives, and make our own condiments!

Remember the last time you were at a fancy restaurant, and you were wowed by their fresh, homemade ketchup? Why not make your own? Most condiments require only a few ingredients and a blender or whisk. I did some research and found recipes for six condiments that you can easily make yourself.

1. Ketchup

Say goodbye to ketchup filled with high fructose corn syrup. This simple ketchup recipe below from Epicurious originally came from Gourmet magazine. Or try this version from tiny morsels food blog for more complex flavor and less brown sugar.

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Purée tomatoes (with purée from can) in a blender until smooth.

2. Cook onion in oil in a four quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about eight minutes. Add puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about one hour (stir more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching).

3. Purée ketchup in two batches in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Chill, covered, at least two hours (for flavors to develop).

2. Mustard

I found endless mustard recipes. Jump in and have fun experimenting to find what suits your taste. Some mustard recipes require cooking and other don’t. Generally, the mustard needs to rest a few days for the flavors to meld and for the spice to mellow, especially if you’re using mustard seeds as opposed to mustard powder. Be sure to label your jars- mustard should last about one month in the refrigerator. One other note: don’t use metal containers, as mustard can oxidize the metal.

Basic Homemade Mustard Recipe:

• 1 Tbsp brown mustard seeds

• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• 1 tsp mustard flour

1. Soak seeds in wine overnight in a jar on the counter. Next day drain out wine, and reserve for later. Crush seeds. Add in two tsp reserved wine, and two tsp white wine vinegar. Stir, then add in mustard flour and brown sugar.

2. Put in jar and put in fridge, taste in a few days – it takes a couple days for the flavors to really come out.

Recipe and photo from: Meighan

Or, find 148 other mustard recipes, such as Dijon mustard or Beer Mustard here!

3. Mayonnaise

I have to admit for some time I’ve been in the “fear-of-mayonnaise” camp. However, after perusing a number of mayonnaise recipes, I have come to the conclusion that I could very well conquer this fear if I made it myself! Mayonnaise is little more than egg yolk, oil and lemon juice. Try this recipe out below from Gourmet posted on Epicurious.

Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe:

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Active time: 10 min

Total time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 30 minutes

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 3/4 cup olive or vegetable oil (or a combination), divided

• 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar or cider vinegar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

Whisk together yolk, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined well. Add about 1/4 cup oil drop by drop, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in vinegar and lemon juice, then add remaining 1/2 cup oil in a very slow, thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended. If at any time it appears that oil is not being incorporated, stop adding oil and whisk mixture vigorously until smooth, then continue adding oil. Whisk in salt to taste and white pepper. Chill, surface covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.

4. Salsa

Tomato season is drawing near, and there is nothing as fabulous as homemade salsa. It’s also extremely easy to make. Granted, it doesn’t last long in the fridge, but then again, how could something so tasty ever last long? I usually eye-ball the ratios, depending on how many tomatoes I have. The amount of spice depends on the amount of jalapeno you use. Start conservatively, and add more to taste.  Here’s what you need:

Ingredients

• 2-3 ripe tomatoes, diced

• about 1/2 red onion, chopped small

• 1/2 to 1 jalapeno, minced

• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lime

• Handful of cleaned cilantro leaves, chopped small

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with tortilla chips.

5. Goddess Dressing

Salad dressing, as I mentioned in my vinaigrette posting, is something we should all make ourselves. I know a lot of fans of Annie’s Goddess Dressing and when looking for a similar version, I was amazed at the amount of variation from one recipe to the next. The recipe I’ve included below seems like a good take. I also found numerous other Tahini-style dressings. This very simple Tahini-Miso Dressing from Kitchn is one I plan to try.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons plain sesame oil or olive oil

• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil (not plain sesame oil)

• 1/2 cup tahini

• 2 Tablespoons red wine or apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup water

• 4 green onions (white and green parts)

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon shoyu or tamari (soy sauce)

• 4 fresh garlic cloves

• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (toast them first if desired)

• 2 sprigs parsley (leaves only)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

1. Combine everything in a blender or food processor.

2. Taste to adjust flavors, if too thick, add water 1 tbs at a time until it’s the consistency you prefer.

3. Add a tsp more vinegar or soy for a stronger flavor.

4. A tsp more toasted sesame oil will add a “richer” flavor.

5. Store in the fridge in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

6. Peanut Butter

This simple peanut butter recipe sounds delicious. Serve with your favorite homemade jam or fruit preserves.

Recipe from: Little Blue Hen food blog

Homemade Peanut Butter Recipe:

Yields about 1.5 cups of peanut butter

Note: The darker you roast your peanuts, the more intense the flavor. We prefer a bit lighter roast, but you may not. Using a darker pan will make the peanuts toast faster, so times are approximate. I had to process mine in batches because I have a small-capacity food processor. If you have a 12-cup bowl it will probably work in one go.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (about 13 ounces) raw peanuts

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 2 tablespoons peanut or neutral-flavored oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread peanuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Peanuts are done when they are just golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. When peanuts are cool enough to handle, rub them between your hands to loosen the skins. Place peanuts in a salad spinner to separate skins from peanuts.

3. If crunchy peanut butter is desired, reserve 1/4-1/2 cup of the peanuts. In the bowl of a food processor, combine peanuts, honey, and salt. If the capacity of your food processor is small, work in two or three batches. Pulse a few times to break up the peanuts, then drizzle in some oil. Process until smooth. If making crunchy peanut butter, chop reserved peanuts and stir in.

4. Store refrigerated in an air-tight jar (an old peanut jar works really well) for up to a month.

Images: Chiot’s Run, tiny morsels,  kochtopf, Meighan, chocokat, FotoosVanRobin, Jon Sullivan, bodhimama, Little Blue Hen

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