Homemade Nut Butter

Come autumn, the harvest of almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts begins in earnest. Turning them into your own homemade nut butter not only makes storing easy, but also transforms an everyday snack into a rich, spreadable butter. A blender produces the smoothest results, but only a heavy-duty one is up to the task. As an alternative, use a food processor; the butter will just be a bit coarser.Read the Test Kitchen post for more information on preserving fresh nuts.  

• 2 cups toasted skin-on almonds, toasted and skinned hazelnuts, or untoasted pecans
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1-1/2 to 4 Tbs. canola, vegetable, or other neutral-flavored oil
• 1 tsp. honey

Tip:

For almond or hazelnut butter, try substituting almond or hazelnut oil for the canola oil.

Put the nuts in a heavy-duty blender or a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the salt and purée until the nuts become fairly smooth, adding only enough oil to help the nuts break down. Add the honey and pulse to mix. Transfer the nut butter to a sterile jar and store in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator.