How to build the ultimate PB

Happy National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! We’re here to help you celebrate... with peanut butter and jelly recipes, of course!

Sure, you can go out and buy the spreads, but why not get creative -- like, DIY creative -- and make your own? Believe it or not, homemade jams, jellies and nut butters aren’t that difficult to do from scratch (if you want to make your own bread for a sandwich, well, that’ll be a little more time-consuming).

Check out the photo gallery above for recipes for 14 jams, jellies and preserves -- we include traditional options, such as strawberry, as well as more adventurous offerings (such as the insanely good coconut jam from Susan Fenniger’s Street).

VIDEO: How to make your own nut butters

And check out our how-to video on homemade nut butters! Make your own peanut butter, or think outside the box with oh, say, almond or hazelnut butter.

Then celebrate! Just remember to clean up after your mess when you’re done.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at [email protected].

Make your own nut butter: Toast the nuts in a 350- to 375-degree oven until they’re fragrant and slightly darkened. Toasting the nuts will give them a richer, deeper flavor. Cool the nuts slightly, then place the warm nuts in a food processor and start grinding. Process the nuts until they are ground to coarse meal, then continue until you finally get a smooth paste. Scrape down the bowl periodically.

As you process, the meal will first clump together as the nuts’ oils are released, finally smoothing out over a couple minutes. That’s your nut butter. Taste the butter and season, or flavor, as desired, processing everything together.