Method for preparing sweetened, storage stable, chunky peanut spread and product thereof

Claim 1

In a method for preparing a desirably appearing, storage stable sweetened peanut spread composition having at least about 5 weight percent based on the total sweetened peanut spread composition of honey, by combining roasted peanuts with a glyceride stabilizer, a small amount of fortifying materials and a small amount of one or more substantially anhydrous hydrophilic edible additives of the group consisting of mono - and disaccharides and salt, to form a peanut composition; milling the peanut composition with vegetable oil and from about 0.15 to 0.85 weight percent based on the weight of honey of an emulsifier; subjecting said milled mixture to deaeration; adjusting the temperature of the milled mixture to about 140°-150° F; heating the honey to about 120°-140° F; blending said heat adjusted mixture with said heated honey to form a homogeneous sweetened peanut spread composition; and cooling said homogeneous composition to less than 120° F, wherein said roasted peanuts and vegetable oil are in an amount of from about 60 to 92 weight percent, said stabilizer is in an amount of from 1 to 3 weight percent, and said vegetable oil is in an amount of from 6 to 24 weight percent based on the final composition, the improvement comprising blending with said cooled composition granulated, roasted peanuts and subjecting said granulated peanut-containing cooled composition to further deaeration, prior to packing in containers for storage.