​​The Simple Way To Get The Last Bit Of Peanut Butter Out Of The Jar

If you've ever gotten to the end of a peanut butter jar, only to find yourself fighting to scoop out the last bits to make spicy peanut sauce, then you know the remnants notoriously stick to all the nooks and crannies of the container's interior. However, there's a better way than scraping the sides with a knife or spoon. To easily get every last bit of peanut butter out of the jar, you can use another kind of handy kitchen utensil: a silicone spatula. Silicone spatulas are designed to be flexible for exactly these kinds of jobs in cooking and baking. Think: scraping the sides of a bowl to transfer cake batter to a pan. When used to remove the final amounts of peanut butter from a jar, a spatula takes on a genius use that will have you wondering how you didn't think of it before.

You can use a silicone spatula to capture every last drop of peanut butter to make a variety of recipes — from savory sauces to sweet treats like peanut butter cookies. You can also use a spatula to scoop out the last of your nut butter to spread on toast with jam or to add as a rich topping for ice cream. Plus, a silicone spatula is an easy solution for when you want to make the most of the empty jar itself.

Though it may seem like a simple trick, using a silicone spatula to scrape the last bits of peanut butter from the jar is more than just a way to reduce food waste in the kitchen. It can also help you more easily prep your jars for recycling. Recycling plastic and glass peanut butter containers requires that they be completely clean and dry before tossing them in the recycling bin. 

The peanut butter's natural oils, plus the flexible yet durable silicone spatula, should be enough to scoop up the last bits before you wash it. But if you notice stubborn food particles, you can always apply a light coating of oil to the spatula to help the stuck-on peanut butter release. Then, simply wash and dry your empty container. You'll use less soap and water than if you didn't remove the last bits of peanut butter, and save yourself the frustration of endless soaking or having a sticky film of residue left behind.

The best thing is, this silicone spatula technique can also be used to rescue other hard-to-clean containers for jams and condiments. And, while recycling empty jars is a great option, you can also repurpose clean containers into organizational utensil holders, resourceful DIY plant pots, or handy jars to store leftovers or salad dressings.