Of course, all foods last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. While most Proteins usually have a sell by date, these containers usually carry a best by date, which is simply the last date a manufacturer will guarantee their product quality - not its safety. Because of this distinction, you may safely use it to satisfy your hunger even after the best before date has lapsed. That is, if it was stored properly.

How to tell if Peanut Butter is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

Sight is usually the most reliable way to tell if your peanut butter has gone bad. A common trait of bad peanut butter is a change in texture from soft and creamy to hard and dry. The color of the spread may also become darker and the pleasant aroma disappears. If the peanut butter begins to smell rancid, toss it.

A natural separation of oil is natural, especially in the natural peanut butters that do not contain additional fats as stabilizers. You can tell how long the jar of natural peanut butter has been sitting on the shelf by the amount of oil on top. This oil can be stirred back into the peanut butter if desired, but we prefer to pour most of it into a frying pan and use it for pan frying something for dinner. The resulting peanut butter is thicker and doesn't gush right out of your sandwich. On the other hand, if oil begins to separate from processed peanut butter (Peter Pan, Jif, etc.) that is an indication that the peanut butter will soon be going bad.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Peanut Butter to extend its shelf life?

You can help peanut butter keep fresh longer by storing it in your fridge immediately after use, although processed peanut butter will be fine on the shelf as well. Once prepared (if homemade) or opened from the jar, it should be stored in a tightly closed container. The original container works great to keep moisture and other contaminants from touching the peanut butter.

Homemade and natural peanut butter should be kept in the refrigerator to last longer as they lack preservatives. Always use a clean utensil when using the product in order to avoid cross contamination.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Peanut Butter:

How long is Peanut Butter good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does peanut butter last? That depends. How long does bread last? In general, peanut butter will be one of the last ingredients to spoil in your dish.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Peanut Butter lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Peanut Butter.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Peanut Butter shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!