Aaron Spencer gave samples of his dense and richly flavored almond butter at the Roslindale Farmer’s Market last summer when a young customer gave him the thumbs up. “Kids are the most honest critics,” says Spencer, a Roxbury resident and an educator for Boston’s Uncommon Schools. The nod from the enthusiastic youngster spurred his creativity and he soon added a few more varieties. Now, Spencer’s line, A-Butter Almond Butter, includes four flavors: almond butter with maple syrup, one with honey, another, with apple cinnamon, and a seasonal gingerbread with spices. Fragrant from roasted almonds, A-Butter’s other ingredients are simply avocado oil and salt. Spencer first started whipping up almond butter for himself as a nutritious source of protein when he chose a vegan diet, hoping to lower his risk for the health problems prevalent in his family. He says he was raised in a low-income community in Brooklyn that he describes as a food desert. Now he uses the shared kitchen space at Jamaica Plain’s First Baptist Church to produce 250 jars a month (and growing) of the healthy spread so he can spread the wisdom of healthy eating ($12 for 12 ounces). Available at abutterbyaaron.com.
ANN TRIEGER KURLAND