Peanut butter is my jam. If you’re like me, you’re on Team Nature and prefer the nutritious, delicious simplicity of one single ingredient: peanuts (and sometimes salt). But there’s a problem—oil. Seeing half an inch of oil on top of a new jar fills me with separation anxiety. It is up to us to mix, but when I stir, I always make a mess and never manage to blend it as well as when it was freshly poured. No matter how thorough a job I think I did, I always find the densest of peanuts laughing at me from deep down in the corners. Don’t get me started on the upside-down hack. We shouldn’t have to wait two days to eat our food. We should be able to grab a spoon and dig in, same as the brands with all the added chemistry. In 2021, living in my RV, I set out to solve this messy mix problem.

 

After a year of experimenting with different ideas, like a stir stick in the lid and storing the jars upside down from the start (Nutside Down), I found my solution on the back label of every brand of all-natural peanut butter I came across: "refrigerate after mixing". They advise this because they know refrigeration prevents separation. That's when I had my "AHA" moment. Why ask us to do the mixing, then refrigerate? As the manufacturer who just created the most thorough of mixes, why not refrigerate and keep it cool from the beginning? Peanut butter kept cool from the moment it is poured means the oil never gets a chance to separate, meaning we can eat it as soon as we get home—no mess, no stress, Stir-Free...I found my solution. But that was only the first step. Next, I had to learn how to make peanut butter.

 

I had a vision of crafting peanut butter with my heart and soul. I could have contracted out production or invested in high-speed, high-production commercial machinery; however, I was inspired by craft chocolatiers and coffee roasters. My first roasts were in a wok, and then in the oven, until eventually I settled on a rotisserie roasting method in micro-batches for quality and control. Like chocolate and coffee, roasting is an art that took me over a year to experiment and perfect. And then there was the grind.

 

There are high-speed grinders that use blades to chop the peanuts, but it is a violent way to break them down, and the high speed means high temperature—both affecting the quality, taste and nutrition of the peanut butter. I selected a stone grinding machine renowned by chocolatiers for the slow, gentle crushing and fine, silky texture it produces. It creates a creamy texture high-speed commercial machines simply cannot match. A truly gourmet grind. With my Stir-Free solution worked out and my micro-batch machinery in hand, there was one more step... the peanuts.

 

When I started this journey, I had no idea how many varieties of peanuts there were in the world. America grows four varieties commercially: Virginia (the largest kernel), Spanish (highest oil content), the Runner peanut (most common), and the Valencia (sweetest, nuttiest). The ingredient list of most commercial brands says "Peanuts", but what variety and where are they from? As a craft producer, I had decided early on that knowing the peanut variety and the farmer was essential to my business. This is perhaps the single biggest reason it has taken me years to get to market.

 

All of my test batches were produced with commercially grown Chinese peanuts, which allowed me to learn the craft, but I was not going to market with them. I searched for an American farmer only to run into hurdles purchasing small quantities and importing into Canada. Then, in early 2024, I learned of a rare and unique peanut grown by indigenous communities in the Amazon jungle: the beautiful purple-striped Wild Jungle Peanut. I flew to South America and spent two months in Peru and then Ecuador on my search. While there, I found even more local varieties: red skin, black skin, white skin, brown skin—all with unique flavour profiles. This blew open my idea of peanut varieties. Just like coffee and chocolate beans from different regions, climates and soil create completely different flavours; such was the case with peanuts. The idea of Single Origin peanut butter was stamped into my soul. The only way I was going to market was with single-origin peanuts from a variety of farmers from around the world, starting with the Wild Jungle peanuts of the Amazon jungle. However, I ran into more problems with purchasing and importing. My peanut butter passion project was once again put on hold.

 

And then, in August 2025, the ultimate solution to my sourcing problem came to me: Canadian-grown peanuts. I had never considered looking for a farmer in Canada. American peanuts are all grown along a belt in the south. I had assumed peanuts did not grow this far north. When I typed in my search, the results came back: one. There are approximately 6500 farmers in America and only one in Canada. Picard's Peanuts in Norfolk County, Ontario. My heart skipped a beat.

 

Jim Picard Sr, pioneered the peanut farming industry in Canada back in 1979, growing the Valencia peanut, the sweetest, nuttiest, and most complex of the four major varieties. The Ontario soil, climate, and the professional practices of Picard's also mean this peanut is naturally less susceptible to aflatoxin contamination, an issue that can crop up in the more humid conditions of the south. Canadian peanut butter hand-crafted from single-origin, Canadian peanuts... I could not have found a more perfect peanut and farmer to launch my brand.

 

After four years, I finally have all the elements in place to offer a peanut butter from my soul.

 

• Stir-Free: I have solved the oil separation problem by keeping my peanut butter cool from the moment it is poured to your fridge.

• Hand Crafted: I have perfected micro-batch, artisanal roasting and grinding methods, creating an exceptionally silky, gourmet peanut butter experience.

• Canadian Peanuts: I have sourced single-origin, Canadian-grown Valencia peanuts from a reputable farmer I can trust and be proud of.

 

Kevin's STIR-FREE PB. From my soul to yours. Grab your spoon.