All Over Albany

Saratoga Peanut Butter

It's tough to be a peanut butter lover these days. If you like that creamy, peanuty goodness but hate-- you know-- salmonella, then a pb&j can feel a bit like a game of Russian roulette. A very tasty game of Russian roulette.

Wait-- don't do it!

The Saratoga Peanut Butter Company is a much safer and yummier alternative.

With flavors like white chocolate-infused Blizzard Butter and cranberry-and-sunflower seed-studded Adirondack Jack the locally made peanut butter at the Saratoga Peanut Butter Company is a tempting (not to mention safe) way to enjoy your pbj.

Jessica Williams makes her peanut butter from scratch, using peanuts purchased from vendors down south--but NOT the Peanut Corporation of America, the subject of a massive national recall. All of her peanut butters are made in Saratoga Springs in small, handcrafted batches. There's no sugar added, no trans fats and it's gluten-free.

Jessica says she'd been making her own peanut butter on and off as gifts for several years after she and her mother began experimenting with making the sandwich spread. When she started looking for a new way of going into business for herself, she got the idea to start selling it. After playing around with various blends, she came up with a few she liked and started pitching the products to area stores.

Jessica says the trend towards buying and eating local has really helped build Saratoga Peanut Butter's popularity. Although she sells her products online and will ship them almost everywhere, it's primarily carried in local stores and markets like the Honest Weight Co-op, Indian Ladder Farms, the Troy Farmers Market and select Price Chopper locations.

As far as stocking the products in stores in other states, Jessica says she's still sort of trying to figure out what direction to take. She's had online requests from every state at least once, as well as internationally, including Japan and Germany.

The peanut butters are a little pricey, ranging from $6 to $8 depending on where you buy them, but they're pretty darn tasty. Oh, and in case this is important to you, the come Rachael Ray approved.

The blizzard butter and the Adirondack Jack are particularly good, although the AOA staff isn't fond of the banana-flavored, raisin-filled Monkey Boy. There's also a dark chocolate blend, the maple syrup-infused New York Maple and three varieties of Plain Jane - creamy, organic or crunchy - for those who prefer their PB straight-up. Jessica's also recently added an almond butter to her repertoire.