SUMA ORGANIC CRUNCHY
€4.50 for 340g, €13.20 per kg
There is clearly a market for organic products that cost the Earth, or else all the nation’s health-food shops would have closed down as soon as the bubble went pop back in 2007. It was in just such a shop we found this peanut butter and, while it is very expensive, it is also lovely. It is the only one made with 100 per cent peanuts and no added salt – which makes it particularly wholesome – and it has a lovely oily texture, so it won’t coat the roof of the mouth, unlike some of its rivals. It is hard to look beyond the high price, however.
Verdict: Lovely but dear.
Star rating: ***
KELKIN CRUNCHY
€3.29 for 350g, €9.40 per kg
This is not as exorbitantly priced as the organic option, but it is still quite dear. It comes from an Irish company and is reasonably widely available, which is a plus, as is the absence of sugar. It is made with palm oil and sea salt, which is probably not such a plus. The oil gives it a sweetness that the Suma peanut butter is lacking, while the salt adds flavour, and, despite the fact that just 1 per cent of the jar is salt, it is pretty prominent.
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Verdict: Nicely balanced.
Star rating: ****
GRANDESSA (ALDI)
€1.09 for 340g, €3.20 per kg
Sometimes the product review comes down to one thing: price. This might not be as wholesome as some alternatives and might not taste as good as others, but it is a quarter of the price of the dearest option we tracked down and very good indeed. It is made with 95 per cent roasted peanuts, as well as brown cane sugar and sea salt, and is crunchy and creamy, sweet and salty. There seems to be more broken-up nuts in this than others, which is a bonus.
Verdict: Very good value.
Star rating: *****
TESCO
€1.09 for 340g, €3.20 per kg
This is the same price as the Aldi product, but not nearly as good. It is made with 91 per cent peanuts – the smallest percentage of all. Also among the ingredients are peanut oil, cane sugar, vegetable oil and sea salt. While these added ingredients take away from the feel-good factor, the product is not terrible and represents good value for money. It falls down a little in the flavour department and we don't find as high a proportion of unbroken nuts as in its rivals.
Verdict: Just grand.
Star rating: ***
