frequently asked questions

These are the questions we get most. If you can’t find an answer to your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.

Q: Do I need to refrigerate CB’s Peanut Butter?
A: No, but the fresher the better. You can simply store it in a cool, dry place like your pantry.

Q: What does “Barrel Roasted” mean?
A: Barrel roasting is just what it sounds like, roasting in a barrel shaped roaster that rotates while roasting. The small batch size and barrel rotation make it possible to get an even roast that is closely monitored by the “roastmaster” and can be adjusted for each type of nut or seed. Most companies use a conveyor roaster and preset settings, which creates a rushed uneven roast and removes the craftsman’s judgement from the process.

Q: Why aren’t your in-shell peanuts organic?
A: Almost all organic peanuts grown in the USA are grown for peanut butter and are only available to us shelled. Since we are committed to using only produce grown in the USA, we cannot offer organic in-shell peanuts at this time.

Q: What happened to the in-shell Valencia peanuts?
A: Valencia peanuts are grown only in a very small region of eastern New Mexico, and due to their naturally sweet flavor, the only remaining producer is dedicating their crop to shelled sales for peanut butter.

Q: Who is CB and what’s so special about CB’s Nuts?
A: CB is Clark Bowen, a nut fanatic who made it his mission to bring his love of great tasting fresh nuts to others. Clark realized that the key to great taste was small batch barrel roasting and shortening the time between production and consumption. In addition to barrel roasting and freshness, CB's products are different because all of them are grown in the USA and always will be.

Q: How can I get my local store to carry your products?
A: A request means more when it comes from you, so please mention our products to your retailer and drop us a message with their contact information, so that we can follow up by sending them some samples and our wholesale information.

Q: What’s “Creamunchy” peanut butter?
A: The grind from our machine is a mid-coarse blend that we really love. We coined it “Creamunchy” because it’s not creamy, and it’s not crunchy, but the perfect place in between. This blend, along with our slow barrel roasting technique is what limits annoying oil separation in the jar.

Q: Is there anything in your peanut butter besides peanuts?
A: Our Organic and Natural PBs are made from fresh roasted peanuts. Our Salted PB has Real Salt (TM) flakes mixed in, giving it that wonderful salt crunch and adding to the peanut flavor. We love Real Salt (TM) because it’s from Utah’s salt beds and incorporates some minerals that add to the health benefits. Find out more here.

Q: Why does shipping cost so much?
A: There are many factors that determine the cost of shipping. Many of our items don’t weigh much, but they have bulk or volume which can add to the cost of freight. If you live in a rural area, that too can increase freight cost. Although this may sound like a shameless up-sell, it oftentimes makes more sense to order multiple items vs. just one. We utilize the best rates available to us via USPS and FedEx, and add zero markup. We’ve recently added a few of our most popular products to Amazon with free shipping for Prime members. Because Amazon gets their cut in this transaction the per package price will be somewhat higher than if you ordered directly from us, but the free shipping should provide a savings on small orders when all is said and done.

Q: Why do your products cost more?
A: Our products cost more because they take more time to make — more time sourcing the best USA crops, more time adding just the right amount of salt or seasonings, and more time slowly barrel roasting every nut and seed so it meets the full profile flavor we demand of our products. You won't find many big companies offering lower price options that actually produce the product themselves. Instead, they have what is called a co-packer handle that, which is more of a quantity over quality decision.

Q: Where can I find your products?
A: We're in lots of stores, big and small. Here are some of the most common: Whole Foods, Safeway, Albertsons, PCC Markets, New Seasons, Jimbo's, QFC, and Fred Meyer. We're also on Amazon, and if you're at a Mariners baseball game in Seattle you can find our nuts sold outside the stadium.

Q: What’s the shelf life of your products?
A: Our guidelines for freshness are one year for all products, unopened.

Q: Doesn’t USDA Organic mean it was grown in the USA?
A: No, it simply means that the grower and producer have met standards set by the USDA for certification. All of our products are USA grown, some are certified organic, all are Non-GMO verified.

Q: Is it true eating nuts regularly can make me healthier?
A: We’ll let the Boston Globe take that one — “New Harvard research provides the strongest evidence to date that eating nuts can reduce a person’s risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, and a number of other causes.” Read more of the story here.

Q: I have a tree nut allergy, is your peanut butter safe for me?
A: Tree nut roasting happens only in our retail facility located approximately a mile away from our primary peanut processing plant, and no equipment is shared so you can enjoy our peanut butter without fear of cross contamination. 

Q: Does CB’s have a program to help with non-profit organization fundraising?
A: CB’s Nuts is proud to help support your non-profit organization and event, though we get a large number of requests and are unable to guarantee a response to all. Also, a donation given one time does not guarantee a donation for the next time. CB’s standard donation is a gift certificate redeemable at our retail shop in Kingston for a pound of peanut butter per month for a year.

For answers to questions not listed above, please complete the form below.