Buzz
My boyfriend has a strange habit of crafting (and devouring) peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in his sleep. It was a bit shocking at first, but I’ve come to accept it, especially since he’s begun making these sleep sandwiches for me. This leads to us going through peanut butter rather quickly, and I recently found not just one, but two almost empty JIF jars in my pantry.
I hold these jars in high regard. Because peanut butter is so sticky and thick, quite a bit often clings to the jar's sides. While it might not be enough for a full sandwich, it’s more than enough for something. They work well as little ice cream cups, but if you’re feeling adventurous with savory flavors, I highly recommend using one to make a peanut sauce.
It’s a flexible process that depends on how much peanut butter is left in the jar, but it’s really quite simple. You just need some neutral oil, soy sauce, a chili sauce (sriracha is great), lime, and a sweetener (I used a mix of mirin and simple syrup). You can also add fish sauce, sesame oil, pickled ginger brine, lemongrass, or anything else lingering in your fridge that you think might work. These are the proportions I used, but feel free to adjust them to make the peanut sauce uniquely yours.
Peanut Sauce Made from an Empty JIF Jar
Ingredients:
1 nearly empty jar of creamy peanut butter
1-3 tablespoons of neutral oil
2 teaspoons of mirin
1 teaspoon of chili sauce (like sriracha)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 of a lime
1/2 teaspoon of simple syrup or another liquid sweetener
Pour one tablespoon of oil into the jar, seal it, and shake it well. Open the jar and, using a long spoon, scrape the sides to loosen the remaining peanut butter, helping it blend into the mixture. If it remains too thick (still mostly peanut butter), add another tablespoon of oil and repeat the shaking process.
Add the mirin, chili sauce, soy sauce, and the juice from a quarter of the lime. Seal the jar, shake everything together, then open it up to scrape the sides with a spoon and stir to mix. Taste it, and if needed, add more lime or a touch of simple syrup. You can also add a splash of fish sauce for depth or a hint of sesame oil. Once the sauce has reached the flavor you desire, pour it into a bowl and dip items like satay, French fries, spring rolls, or cucumbers into it, or use it as a salad dressing. Repeat this process as often as almost-empty peanut butter jars appear in your pantry, which for me, happens several times a month.
