Peanut butter is a simple blend of peanuts and oil. Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

While commercial brands of peanut butter contain ingredients that preserve its texture and extend its shelf life, making your own guarantees that you know exactly what goes into it. Whether it is cheaper to make your own than to buy a store-bought brand depends on the price of the peanuts and the cost of processing them. Learn what it takes to make peanut butter to determine whether your effort is worth the time.

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Cost Comparison

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's average price index, the cost for a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter averaged $2.73 in July 2013. The average price for a pound of shelled roasted peanuts averaged $2.49 if purchased in bulk. A pound of raw peanuts purchased in bulk can cost $2 or more. With the cost of the oil needed to turn the nuts into butter factored in, as well as the addition of salt, you may conclude that making your own is not more economical than buying a jar at the store.

Peanut Facts

Technically speaking, the peanut is not a nut but a legume related to beans and peas. It grows beneath the soil in a shell that contains two whole seeds encased in a thin brownish skin. While you can use just about any type of peanut to make butter, most recipes call for raw or unsalted roasted peanuts. Butter made with raw peanuts tends to be bland and relatively tasteless, but you can adjust this by boiling or roasting the nuts before processing them into butter.

Preparation

You need about 1 pound of shelled peanuts to make 1 pound, or 16 ounces, of peanut butter. A small amount of cooking oil makes the mixture creamy. Roast raw peanuts by spreading about 2 cups of them on a sheet or cookie pan and salting them lightly, if desired. Roast them for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring them a few times until they start smelling nutty. Remove them from the oven and let them cool before using them to make peanut butter.

Blending and Storing

To make peanut butter, place the peanuts in a food processor equipped with the chopping blade in the bottom. Process the peanuts until they start breaking down and forming a loose wet mass, which can take as long as 10 minutes. Add about a tablespoon of peanut, corn, sunflower or safflower oil to the blender and pulse until it reaches the consistency that you like. Adjust the amount of oil as needed, adding it in 1/2-teaspoon increments so the butter doesn't get soupy. Refrigerate homemade peanut butter for as long as two weeks in a covered container.

How to Know if Mushrooms Are Bad. Image Credit: budgetstockphoto/iStock/GettyImages

Mushrooms are full of health benefits, and they add a unique flavor to any meal. With so many different varieties available, from shiitake mushrooms to oyster mushrooms, it's definitely worth keeping a package or two of these fungi around. Sometimes, though, you might leave them in the fridge for slightly longer than intended, only to rediscover them a short while later. If you're wondering whether your mushrooms are still safe to eat, there are a few foolproof ways to figure it out.

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How Long Do Mushrooms Last in the Fridge?

Mushrooms have a high water content, so they spoil rather quickly if not properly stored. Many varieties are sold in shrink-wrapped plastic at the grocery store, but this isn't the best method of at-home storage. Plastic and air-tight containers speed up the spoiling process. Instead, transfer your mushrooms to a paper bag. Opt to buy whole mushrooms rather than sliced, and do not wash the mushrooms until you're ready to use them.

Properly stored whole mushrooms typically last for four to seven days in the fridge. Sliced mushrooms, on the other hand, generally last for one or two days.

You can preserve your mushrooms for much longer by freezing them. First, sauté the mushrooms until they're mostly cooked, and then pack them tightly into an air-tight container. They'll last in the freezer for about a year.

How Can You Tell if Mushrooms Are Bad?

Mushrooms are often a little dirty already, and they come in so many different shapes and sizes. It can be tricky to tell whether they look how they're supposed to look. However, you can use a few different methods to pinpoint any signs of spoilage.

Check the Expiration Date

First thing is first: Is there an expiration date on the container of mushrooms? If so, it's a good idea to chuck the mushrooms once that date has passed, particularly if you're unsure of whether they seem spoiled or not.

Examine the Surface

If the mushrooms appear quite dry or wrinkly, they're likely too old to eat. Also, if the color has changed in any way since you first bought them, that's a telltale sign of spoilage. Examples include darkened gills, discolored spots or spots of mold.

One easy method is to flip the mushrooms over and look at the gills. Spoiled mushrooms often have darkened, shriveled or wet gills.

Use Your Nose

Spoiled mushrooms may emit a foul, ammonia-like odor. Fresh mushrooms should mostly smell like dirt and fungi. If you get a whiff of something foul when you open the container, the mushrooms are spoiled.

Feel the Texture

Lastly, spoiled mushrooms are frequently covered in a coating of slime. Fresh mushrooms should be dry and firm; they may be a bit damp, but they are never slimy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some mushrooms dry out when they're spoiled rather than become slimy. In either case, it's best to throw them away.

What Does a Bad Mushroom Look Like?

There are hundreds of different mushroom varieties out there, so there is no defining visual characteristic of a bad mushroom. An enoki mushroom that has gone bad may look quite different than a bad baby bella mushroom. However, bad mushrooms often exhibit a few of the same signs. They may be covered in slime, have discolored spots, have darkened gills or look dry and wrinkly.

Can You Cook With Spoiled Mushrooms?

Never cook with spoiled mushrooms. It's not worth the risk. Contaminated food can cause serious illness, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. If you notice that your mushrooms are starting to lose their freshness, cook them immediately and freeze them before they spoil.

Buy food when in season to experience the fullest taste.

Fruits and vegetables have certain months when they are in season. Planning your meals around in-season fruits and vegetables will make shopping much easier. Likewise, foods that are fresh will taste better and will be better for you because they do not need as many chemicals to preserve them.

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Start of the Year

The following fruits are in season from January to March: asparagus, avocados, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carambola, cauliflower, celery, chard, blood orange, grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, navel oranges, tangerines, medjool dates, kale, kohlrabi, mushrooms, mustard, green onion, passion fruit, green peas and strawberries.

Spring

fruit and vegetables in season between April and June include: apricots, Asian pears, basil, green beans, chard, cherries, collards, corn, cucumber, eggplants, figs, nectarines, okra, peaches, plums, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, Valencia oranges.

Summer

Fruits and vegetables in season from July to September include: apples, Brussels sprouts, celery, chili peppers, grapes, guava, melons, pears, persimmons, pineapple, sapote, summer squash and tomatillos

August fruits and vegetables are: Apples, Asparagus, Avocados, Basil, Green Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Pepper, Grapefruit, Lemons, Valencia Oranges, Collards, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Grapes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Melon, Mushroom, Mustard, Nectarines, Okra, dry Onion, Green Onion, Passion Fruit, Peaches, Pears, Asian Pears, Black-eyed Peas, Peppers, Persimmons, Plums, Potatoes, Raspberries, Sapote, Spinach, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Strawberries, Tomatillos, Tomatoes and Turnips.

Fruits in season during the mont of September include: Apples, Asparagus, Avocados, Basil, Green Beans, Beets, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chili Pepper, Grapefruits, Lemons, Valencia Oranges, Oranges, Collards, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Pineapple Guava, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mushroom, Mustard, Nectarines, Okra, dry Onion, Green Onion, Passion Fruit, Peaches, Pears, Asian Pears, Black-eyed Peas, Peppers, Persimmons, Plums, Potatoes, Raspberries, Sapote, Spinach, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Strawberries, Tomatillos, Tomatoes and Turnips.

Autumn and Winter

Vegetables and fruits grown from October to December include: artichokes, cherimoyas, kiwi, pomegranates, Potatoes, winter squash, turnips and yams.