Does fresh ground peanut butter need to be refrigerated?

Question

I bought some today at a grocery store. It came from a bin full of peanuts and it tastes great... but does it need to be refrigerated? I don't want to get food poisoning by leaving it out. A google search provided conflicting answers... anyone know?

Answer 1

From a microbiological standpoint (which is what you are asking) the peanut butter will be fine assuming it's made from ground peanuts and nothing else because as another answer pointed out think of it as peanuts which don't need to be refrigerated.  The water activity is quite low that nothing will grow.

However, if you plan on keeping the peanut butter for a while you might want to refrigerate it.  For two reasons, as another pointed out the oil will become more solid and not separate as easily, second, peanut oil is prone to oxidize easily because it is unsaturated and refrigerating it will prevent (or reduce) oxidation.  

I agree fresh peanut butter is the best.

PhD Food Chemistry and Nutrition

Answer 2

In the old days, we didn't have a fridge and the peanut butter was always kept in the cupboard.  You will have to give it a stir every time you use it as the oil rises to the top.

Answer 3

Treat it as regular peanuts without the shell - which don't need to be refridgerated.

If you have any doubts, consult www.fightbac.org - where you can learn how to prevent food poisoning.

The main reason for chilling all natural peanut butter is that the oil naturally separates, floats to the top, and becomes runny.  To maintain an even texture, stir it well, and keep it chilled.  The chilling helps the oil stay firm - that's all.

Answer 4

I would say YES since its freshly made and there are not any preservatives in it to give a longer shelf life.