You are looking at a line of jars in a grocery store. All of them say they're healthy, pure, or just plain natural. If you've ever brought home a jar, twisted off the lid and discovered a ring of mysterious grease or a gritty paste that tastes like cardboard, you understand that not all spreads are created equal. A really good almond butter jar should not be like reading hieroglyphics. It should be easy. The key to choosing the right jar is knowing what to look for on the ingredients list and knowing what a real "few hands" processing jar should look like. Let's peel back the wrapping paper and see what the good stuff is all about so you can consistently enjoy the creamiest, tastiest spoonful.

The Ingredient List: Less is Always More

If you rotate a jar around, you should be able to spot a really short sentence on the back. Ideally the ingredients should contain only one thing: almonds. Perhaps a garnish of salt, if you like a salty ending, but nothing more. When the food manufacturers add things in to prolong shelf life or modify texture, they are unlikely to accentuate the natural feel of the spread.

·         The Hidden Sugar Trap: Be aware of the "hidden" sweeteners, which are disguised as complex names such as cane sugar, coconut crystals, agave nectar, or high fructose corn syrup. Additionally, pure almonds have a natural sweetness that is muted when extra sugars are added to the batch. Don't let a factory "sweeten up" your food; if you're in the mood for something sweet, you're much better off drizzling a bit of honey on top of it yourself—or pairing it with some fresh berries to make your own almond butter fruity snack at home.

·         Hydrogenated Oil Threat: When you encounter terms such as "hydrogenated palm oil" or "vegetable oil blend," return the jar to the shelf. The fats are added by the manufacturers to the spread to ensure the natural oils do not separate, and hence provide an emulsification that never goes bad. But these processed fats change the fresh flavor of the nut and add unwanted saturated fats to your meals. Real nut butter should separate; if a new jar has a layer of liquid gold at the top, it's actually a badge of honor, and that's a sign of purity.

·         Chemical Stabilizers and Preservatives: Authentic spreads do not need complicated chemical stabilizers to remain fresh. Almonds contain naturally high levels of vitamin E, making them a natural preservative of the oils to prevent too rapid a spoilage process. Avoid jars filled with something such as sodium benzoate or artificial flavors because these typically indicate the use of poor quality and old nuts that had to be treated with chemicals to make them palatable.

Texture, Roast, and the Great Oil Separation

Did you ever wonder why some jars are smooth like a baby's skin and some jars are rough like coarse sand? The magic is in the grinding and the texture you select brings a whole new range of possibilities to your kitchen use of the spread. Natural almond butter starts with raw almonds, resulting in a neutral, sweet, and slightly moist paste, which is perfect for green smoothies or baking. The dry-roasted alternatives, on the other hand, give a very aromatic and smoky flavor since additional oils are released from the nuts during the heating process, resulting in a deeply aromatic grind.

If you open a completely fresh jar and notice the heavy oil on the top, it is not a panic situation, but absolutely do not pour out the oil. There's proof that the manufacturer didn't throw chemical emulsifiers into the batch in that floating oil. Imagine a freshly squeezed juice that must be shaken before consuming. Instead of poking around the jar with a fork or peeling your kitchen counter, use a butter knife or heavy spoon to cut downward through the oil nest to the bottom and keep doing this a few times. Next, fold top oil into bottom paste using slow, deliberate twisting movements until the mixture is even. When you get that slick, shiny result, drop the jar directly into the fridge, where the cold helps to seal the slickness, eliminating that labor-intensive stirring step all over again.

Sourcing and Packaging Matter More Than You Think

Where are those almonds, and in what container do they sit? All this may seem like a micro detail but it really affects what is on your spoon and what's left on your plate. Almonds are thirsty, meaning much of the condition of the crop reflects the integrity of the brand. Ask companies to be transparent about their farmers or emphasize the sustainability of water usage on their websites.

Also, before making a final decision, always look at the container itself. Plastic containers are very inferior to glass containers for the following reasons: Certain subtle chemical flavors can leach from plastic into oily foods over time, particularly if the jars were stored in hot delivery trucks before arriving at the store. Glass retains the flavor, completely excludes oxygen, is extremely easy to clean and recycle.