The Foolproof Method For Preventing Soggy PB&Js

Is there anything more iconic than a PB&J? Since the first printed recipe appeared in 1901 in "The Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics," the PB&J has become a staple of lunch boxes in schools all over. So it's not surprising that the average American child eats around 1,500 PB&Js before graduating from high school — or nearly 100 PB&Js per year since birth! — according to the National Peanut Board.

Beyond school lunch boxes, PB&Js are the ideal make-ahead sandwich, since they don't need to be refrigerated. Whether you're going for a hike, to the beach, or on a road trip, PB&Js are a great snack to bring with you. The only downside, as anyone who has ever bitten into a PB&J hours after it's made knows, is that the longer it's been since that PB&J has been made, the more likely it is to be soggy, from the jelly (or jam) soaking into (and through) the bread. Well, there's a way to avoid those soggy PB&Js forever.

Most people make a PB&J by spreading peanut butter on one slice of bread, jelly on another slice of bread, and putting the two slices together, with the peanut butter and jelly on the inside. Unless you're planning on eating the sandwich right away, though, the jelly will start seeping through the bread, eventually leading to a soggy mess. Turns out, there's a better way to construct the sandwich, which is simply to spread peanut butter on both slices of bread first, and then adding the jelly. The peanut butter forms a barrier between the jelly and the bread, which means no more soggy PB&Js!

In a Reddit thread on the topic, several other solutions were offered, including spreading butter on the bread first, mixing the peanut butter and jelly together before spreading on the sandwich, and toasting the bread first. Another way to prevent soggy PB&Js, which also happens to be a simple way to upgrade your PB&J, is to grill your PB&J, much as you would a grilled cheese sandwich, for a crisp outside and melted goodness on the inside. Whatever method you choose, there's no reason to ever have a soggy PB&J again (unless you happen to actually like them that way).