Instructions: Given a passage and a query based on the passage, generate an unambiguous, concise and simple answer to the query from information in the passage. Note that the answer may not be present in exact form.
Input: Storing natural peanut butter in the fridge means a rock-hard product, but many natural peanut butters instruct us to refrigerate on the label. What's the deal? Here's the short answer: no, you don't have to refrigerate. Natural peanut butter keeps just fine in a cool, dark place like the pantry for at least a month which is more than enough time for many peanut butter lovers to consume it. But if you don't eat this nutty spread that quickly, the fridge will keep it fresher longer. If you do refrigerate your natural peanut butter, be sure to stir it before doing so once it's cold, it can be hard to stir the oil back into the peanut butter. But once that's done, a jar will easily keep in the fridge for six months. Do not purchase bulging cans, says USDA. But what about our favorite foodspeanut butter, peanuts and peanut products? Peanut butter's shelf life may depend on the way you store it. Follow the guide above and remember to store peanuts in airtight containers. An open jar of peanut butter stays fresh up to three months in the pantry. After that, it's recommended to store the peanut butter in the fridge (where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months). If you don't refrigerate, oil separation can occur. Here's a run-down. Refrigerated peanut butter won't spread that easily, but it prevents oil separation and helps retain the flavor. Image used under Creative Commons from Bobbi Bowers If you're making peanut butter yourself and you're not using any stabilizers or hydrogenated fat, your peanut butter should last a few months, possibly half a year. Because you're not using any stabilizers, it's quite natural that oil will separate that's not harmful to the sandwich spread, you can just stir contents of the jar and you're ready to use it. Peanut Butter, unopened 6-9 months Refrigeration not needed. Peanut Butter, opened 2-3 months Lasts 6 -9 months in refrigerator. Peanuts: Bagged, in the shell or out 1-2 months Lasts 4-6 months in refrigerator. Peanuts: in cans or jars, unopened 2 years. Peanut Flour, unopened 1 year. The all natural peanut butter does not have sugar or hydrogenated oil in it. Therefore the fat will come to the top and you have to stir it. If you refrigerate it, it will stay mixed longer and you don't have to stir it. I've been doing this for about 50 years now. The answer probably depends on how long it takes you to consume the peanut butter once you have opened it. In our household we never refrigerate our peanut butter. (It is most often from Trader Joe's, with the only ingredient listed being dry roasted peanuts.) An open jar of peanut butter in our household typically gets consumed within 6 weeks' time, and we have never had any problems with the peanut butter going bad. Yes, if you don't refrigerate your peanut butter, it will go rancid more quickly than if you had refrigerated it. But it will likely take a number of weeks or possibly a couple of months before that occurs. I suspect that peanut butter made with raw peanuts rather than roasted ones spoils more quickly. Refrigerated peanut butter won't spread that easily, but it prevents oil separation and helps retain the flavor. Image used under Creative Commons from Bobbi Bowers. If you're making peanut butter yourself and you're not using any stabilizers or hydrogenated fat, your peanut butter should last a few months, possibly half a year. If you're a peanut butter fan, you'd definitely benefit from knowing how long does peanut butter last, how to tell if it is bad and similar issues. How long does peanut butter last? As long as your peanut butter jar is still unopened, it can be stored for at least one and a half years, or more, provided you store it in appropriate conditions. What are the appropriate conditions to store peanut butter? Query: how long does peanut butter stay good refrigerated
Output:
Peanut Butter, unopened 6-9 months Refrigeration.