Slaying the Plastic Dragon - Day 4 - Peanut Butter

This post is part of an ongoing series on my humble attempts to avoid plastic, especially single use, disposable plastic.  See this post about why I am trying to do this.

Have you noticed how all the peanut butter jars are now plastic?  Some of the organic ones are glass, though.  But my family refuses to eat organic peanut butter.  They want the processed kind that doesn't separate with that oil floating on top.  I've tried buying organic peanut butter before and I am the only one who winds up eating it.  And I am not a huge peanut butter eater like my husband and sons.  Inevitably my husband winds up going out and getting a gigantic plastic jar of Jif or Skippy.

I tried doing some research on line and thought I had found that Smucker's still used glass jars.  It said 'natural' on the label but I thought it would be like the Jif 'natural' that doesn't separate.  But woe is me, even though it was indeed in a glass jar, it was truly natural and did need to be mixed.  Since we were actually out of peanut butter, (I am tackling this problem of plastic one item at a time as they come up in my own life) I brought it home anyway and tried mixing it with the immersion blender in the jar.  This was a bit messy and didn't really mix well.  Also, I broke the blender!  I think I will have to go to the messy trouble of scraping it out of the jar, mixing it in a bowl and then putting it back.  I put it in the fridge upside down to keep it mixed (as much as it was mixed), but no one likes cold peanut butter!

Also, even though the Smucker's come in glass with a tin lid it did have a plastic seal around it.  I am finding this is so with lots of jarred things.  Sigh.  At least it is less plastic and hopefully somewhat recyclable.  So far, things aren't looking hopeful in my quest for peanut butter-in-a-glass-jar-that-will-actually-be-eaten-by-my-family.*  And this is important as my 18 yo is a vegetarian and depends on peanut butter a lot.  You would think being a vegetarian he'd be more open to the organic kind, but no, he is not.

I have a difficult family in some ways.

On the bright side, it is pretty easy to get jelly and honey in glass jars.

This is my favorite local honey.

* I wrote this a couple days ago.  Yesterday, a Friday in Lent when you can't eat meat, we had good old peanut butter and jelly for lunch.  I had taken the Smucker's out of the fridge and even at room temperature with the jar right side up, it stayed mostly mixed.  I did stir it around a bit with the knife I was using for spreading before making the sandwiches.  I must say that Smucker's makes a delicious peanut butter.  The flavor is fresh and peanutie.  I am feeling hopeful that my persnickety family will come around to this peanut butter by the end of Lent!