Uncivilized, maybe, but desperate.....Peanut Butter

[CariBIP]

I just moved here from California and apparently can't live without unsweetened, organic peanut butter. Does anyone know if it is allowed PRIVATELY through customs - as in a care package from home? I can't easily find out !!!!

Otherwise, I'm thoroughly enjoying this site for restaurants and info - I'm in Paris.....

Thanks!

[carlux]

Luckily we figure if we are going to eat junk food, then it needn't (shouldn't) be organic. So when we came here we searched for ordinary supermarket peanut butter, which 15 years ago, wasn't very accessible. Or it was Dutch, which just isn't the same.

So for years, whenever people asked us 'what do you miss about Canada?' our answer was peanut butter. Also corn on the cob, but not so easy to get, and so we grew our own for several years. Many Canadian suitcases came laden down with kilo jars of peanut butter.

Now our supermarkets, even in the Dordogne have reasonable peanut butter - and we find that we eat less now that it's accessible.

[sunshine842]

the Intermarche in Souillac carried little jars of Skippy peanut butter as long as 8-9 years ago...for a mindbogglingly high price!

It's pretty easy to find now -- and no, we don't eat much of it any more, either.

[carlux]

We have a jar of Skippy in the drawer now, and I have to say I don't even remember how expensive it was. But there isn't any Intermarche in Souillac - or not that we've found in 17 years. Leclerc and Casino, but no Intermarche.

[sunshine842]

Ack. Siorac. I eternally mix them up. We had a gite in Le Coux that year, so the Intermarche was our go-to.

That jar was about $6 US, and they actually delayed closing for lunch for a few minutes so I could buy the peanut butter (!!!)...but we had a toddler who had been gamely eaten everything that came by for nearly a week, then abruptly just went on a food strike. Peanut butter sandwiches broke the strike, so worth it, but yike. The things we do for our kids.

[CariBIP]

I just wanted to thank everyone's input and info! Now that I have 10 Trader Joes jars on their way, I'll stash them and supplement them with what I can find locally. Thanks again!

[sunshine842]

do make sure you go through the TJ's without stocking them for too long...peanut butter can go bad, and when it does, it's a particularly virulent strain of bacteria that can make you pretty darned sick.

[menton1]

Well, I don't know about the bacteria, but all-natural peanut butter can get rancid in as little as 4 months. Either refrigerate, or use quickly. Usually a smell test works...

[menton1]

http://www.toutelabio.com/produit-bio...

I also believe La Grande Epicerie (in Bon Marche dept store) may have some peanut butters, but possibly not organic...

[sunshine842]

the Portuguese grocery near me has both sweetened and unsweetened peanut butter, and even the grands magasins carry it in tins in their ethnic aisles. (may or may not be organic...)

I shop at the Portuguese grocery quite a lot -- years in Florida means that a number of dishes that are just plain weird to "average" French are normal and comfort food for me -- so black beans, corn meal, brown sugar, peanut butter -- all stuff I can find there that I can't always find elsewhere.

They now know that I *do* know what to do with it all, so they point me toward new items...nice.

[sunshine842]

Ethnic stores frequently have peanut butter - and a lot of the time it's unsweetened.

Natural foods stores -- Naturalia, Biocoop, and the bio aisles at the regular grocers, might also have it.

[dumbobruni]

thanksgiving in the 4th, has skippy and jif

http://www.thanksgivingparis.com/

grand epicierie near serves-bablyone should have it

lastly, the african stores around chateau rouge have peanut butter, usually labeled as groundnut paste (contains only peanuts, no sugar or salt added).

[Ptipois]

Yes, the African stores. Good idea. Look for "pâte d'arachide" in small plastic takeout boxes, it's usually freshly ground.

[souvenir]

Naturalia and Biocoop are the first stores I'd check.

http://www.naturalia.fr/bio-puree-cac...

[tacosandbeer]

Amazon is your friend. After some time in England, I feel your pain!
Amazon.co.uk's site = Meridian Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter - No added sugar, plus several other options. Don't know if France has their own Amazon site, but that might be quicker, easier and cheaper than having it shipped from home. Enjoy France!

[Delucacheesemonger]

Maybe due to luck or inexperience. Have sent stuff both ways, much questionable and never an issue.