Peanut to Peanut Butter

• After harvest, peanuts are shelled, roasted, cooled quickly -- to stop the cooking process -- skinned and ground. By law in the United States, peanut butter must be 90 percent peanuts. Salt, sugars and stabilizers are added to prevent the oil from separating from the ground nuts.

Food Science and SFE

• An article titled, "Roasted Peanuts and Peanut Butter Quality are Affected by Supercritical Fluid Extraction" appeared in the "Journal of Food Science" stated: "SFE increased the ... adhesiveness of peanut butter but had little effect upon flavor." In food processing, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) uses carbon dioxide to extract oils and other compounds from food, such as peanuts or fish. In peanut butter production, SFE helps to keep peanut solids and oils combined without using additional stabilizers or hydrogenated oils.

Reducing Peanut Butter's Stickiness

• The smooth texture of creamy peanut butter makes it sticky in a manner similar to a suction cup and stickiness can be reduced by adding other ingredients, such as jelly or honey, to a sandwich or recipe. Choosing a chunky peanut butter with rough texture reduces its adhesive qualities.