38 replies to this topic

[Chikara Nadir]

What with the food craze going around..why stop at cooking?

How do you make your perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

[Selena]

Yeah, okay, here's how I make my version of a sandwich:




- Peanut butter type: Slab of meat. Any will do.
- Jelly type: Bacon
- Bread type: Slices of cheese




Done.

[deep]

Like this:

[Chikara Nadir]

Like this:

I dare say I agree, heartily.

I love berries - blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, marionberries, salmonberries, huckleberries...

And then, sure- go for cashew butter, almond butter, mmmm. The bacon, though. No problem with that, definitely. That must be delicious.

[Sir Deimos]

Due to over exposure as a child I have a hearty dislike of PB&J. :/

Edit: DP that looks like a Wawa sandwich stub! Do they have Wawa over in Indy? D:

Edited by Synile, 19 August 2011 - 04:32 PM.

[SnowsilverKat]

White bread, Skippy creamy, hold the jelly.

Seriously was my lunch for every day when I was 6.

By the end of the year my lunchbox smelled like rancid peanuts.

[Kisseena]

I like mine on white bread (no crusties!) with grape jelly & creamy peanut butter.

Also, another good thing to try: nutella & banana sammich. <3

[~Celesta~]

Crunchy peanut butter
Usually either Raspberry or Blackberry preserves
and a Honey Wheat bread.
mmmmmmm

from time to time my peanut butter gets replaced with Nutella, but I don't consider that a PB&J sandwich anymore.

[Rhiannon]

Creamy peanut butter (only the one with the bears on the front).

Strawberry Jam, no jelly here.

Potato bread - best GF bread everrrr.

[deep]

Due to over exposure as a child I have a hearty dislike of PB&J. :/

Edit: DP that looks like a Wawa sandwich stub! Do they have Wawa over in Indy? D:

Synile, it's from the Detroit Airport. If you'd just read the receipt.

And no, there are no Wawas, and no Sheetz. It's a pretty awful place.

Potato bread - best GF bread everrrr.

This, one thousand times this.

[Sir Deimos]

I was on my phone and only recognized the layout.

[Chikara Nadir]

Due to over exposure as a child I have a hearty dislike of PB&J. :/Edit: DP that looks like a Wawa sandwich stub! Do they have Wawa over in Indy? D:

Synile, it's from the Detroit Airport. If you'd just read the receipt. :PAnd no, there are no Wawas, and no Sheetz. It's a pretty awful place.

Potato bread - best GF bread everrrr.

This, one thousand times this.

When we moved up to North Carolina from Georgia, we first discovered Sheetz. It's so new and wonderful to us. ;_; Nevermind this foreign, amazing idea of gas stations and mini marts that are CLEAN! And don't have tiles missing! Or only sell some suspicious bags of pork rinds and religious books/post cards! This is...I love it. <3

Also, yes potato bread is good. :3 Sourdough's still my fave, though.

I was on my phone and only recognized the layout.

The layout...that looks like practically every receipt, ever. o__o

[Sir Deimos]

o_o Do I have to go to Wawa, order a sandwich, and show you what I mean? I realize most of the poor, unfortunate world must do without Wawa. XD I feel so sorry for all of you who don't know what you're missing.

[Showsni]

Well, I was kind of intrigued by seeing them on Sesame Street and stuff, so I tried making a simple peanut butter and jam sandwich once or twice; white bread, whatever peanut butter is in the house (crunchy or smooth) and strawberry jam. They're actually pretty nice.

Just don't use jelly in a sandwich. I've no idea how that would work.

[deep]

Hollow out a loaf of bread, coat the inside with peanut butter, insert jelly .

[Emiko]

I like to mix my jelly up with my peanut butter up. The bread doesn't really matter, as long as it's soft and fluffy.

[Crimson Lego]

Strawberry jam, creamy peanut butter, and white bread. I don't like to vary too much.

[Quistis]

Crunchy peanut butter
Usually either Raspberry or Blackberry preserves
and a Honey Wheat bread.
mmmmmmm

from time to time my peanut butter gets replaced with Nutella, but I don't consider that a PB&J sandwich anymore.

Have you ever thought of doing the Nutella AND peanut butter?

o_o Do I have to go to Wawa, order a sandwich, and show you what I mean? I realize most of the poor, unfortunate world must do without Wawa. XD I feel so sorry for all of you who don't know what you're missing.

What's Wawa?


My PB&J

Wheat/anything BUT white bread
Creamy (and only creamy) peanut butter
Strawberry/anything but grape jam/jelly.

I used to hate jam/jelly, so I'm slowly re-introducing myself to it since my tastes have changed.

Sometimes I'll put honey instead of jelly/jam/preserves/whatever we have.

[Egann]

Oh, boy. PB&J. It's hardly my favorite sandwich, and at the four--yes FOUR--ingredient complexity level, I'm usually more inclined to go for cheese, cracker, and dijon to cut out the spreading step, thus reducing my construction time and implements soiled stats....assuming I don't just go caveman on that block of extra sharp Vermont cheddar.

That said, there is a method even here.

1. Start with TOASTED bread. Toasting sweetens the bread, reduces its ability to absorb water, increases it's ability to retain structure when wet...and it also makes the bread harder, so spreading things on the bread is made simpler.

2. In most sandwiches, the ingredients are water-based, so the bread could become waterlogged if it was in direct contact with the ingredients. This is why the original sandwich contained cheese (act as a physical barrier) and why most sandwiches contain mayo...which has oil in an emulsion and will keep the water from contacting the bread. With a PB&J, peanut butter WILL have oil in it and protect the bread on it's side from water...assuming you went creamy. But you've got nothing on the J side to protect the bread, seeing how it is in DIRECT CONTACT with a wet ingredient. This is why the J side of PB&J's always turns into mush.

Like I said, not my favorite sandwich.

Tricks like toasting and keeping the J side up at all times will help, but if you don't mind a little anarchy you can also cheat and butter the J side before adding the jelly.* Butter is 80% oil and its flavor jives with most jams, so bam. Protected AND flavor enhanced. Using a gelatin-based jam rather than a syrup preserve will also help (and you can tell which is which by spreading; syrups act like honey and stretch, while gelatin "crumbles."

*EDIT: The reason I say this will cause anarchy is because now the jelly won't stick...unless you do something funky like "butter a Z pattern and leave the rest untouched." Success of this trick depends ENTIRELY on what kind of jelly you're working with, but usually "cheated" J's will slide. When in doubt, only butter the center of the bread, where it will get soggy easiest and sliding is the least concern. The edge has the crust to protect it from getting waterlogged.

OK, on to the flavors:

Bread: toasted wheat
J: Any fruit. I'm partial to pear or blueberry, but blackberry's a solid backup which is always around.
PB: Personally, I prefer a smooth ALMOND butter. It's heavier than PB, and I've never seen it get to "creamy" but it has a kind of dark flavor that goes almost as well with wheat bread as it does with a celery stalk.



God. I've just realized I can geek out over the PB&J. What. The. FUCK.

Edited by Egann, 19 August 2011 - 10:47 PM.

[wisp]

I like peanut butter with any kind of jelly, though the standard grape is what I'm used to. I actually like preserves better than jelly. Any kind of berry preserves is super-awesome. What I REALLY like is peanut butter and honey sandwiches. PB&H is way better than PB&J. For bread, I voted don't care so long as it's crustless, but crust and I are cool. I usually eat that part first to get it out of the way. There just wasn't an option for "don't care and crust is fine." XD

And the peanut butter must be creamy. Chunky PB just leaves bits of peanut stuck in my molars and then my cheeks get caught in between while I'm chewing.

[deep]

Words.

I didn't think I was a bully, but all I could think while reading this was how much I wanted to give you a wedgie.

[Egann]

[Chikara Nadir]

o_o Do I have to go to Wawa, order a sandwich, and show you what I mean? I realize most of the poor, unfortunate world must do without Wawa. XD I feel so sorry for all of you who don't know what you're missing.

What's Wawa?

Let me google that for you.

To Egann- I was tempted to put toasted bread as an option, but I figured it wouldn't be that popular, and could easily just be explained for the few folks who might go for that. I prefer toasting bread for purely toast purposes (buttered and sometimes with honey), or for savory sandwiches (like a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with mayo, very similar to simple-but-delicious version at Waffle House).

[Quistis]

I wasn't sure if it was a store or a nickname for a store.

[Stew]

PB&J with

-raspberry jam. Homemade is a plus, and a huge luxury based on location.

-Kraft smooth PB. Skippy can go to hell! Although, I've started buying into the 100% pure peanut butter for health reasons!

-Any bread on hand. But french toast it! Add some cinnamon!

-Sliced banana as well.


So good!

[Rhiannon]

Why do you guys use jelly? Or is that just your way of saying jam?

Jelly would not be good in a sandwich :s.

[frogmonkeys]

I'm same as quis. We only ever have wheat bread in our apartment so wheat bread. Only creamy peanut butter, but I for some reason hate peanut butter... And any flavor of jelly or jam other than grape. Grape flavored things makes me wanna puke (too much grape flavored liquid medicine as a kid, liquid medicine makes me puke and grape flavored things make me gag like crazy).

But I dont normally do just pb&j. I prefer peanut butter and honey mixed together with banana instead of jelly. but it has to be at least half honey if not more. And I don't do bananas unless they are in that sandwich. Lol. Sometimes I'm a very picky eater.

[Chikara Nadir]

Why do you guys use jelly? Or is that just your way of saying jam?

Jelly would not be good in a sandwich :s.

Oh, you Canadians. Same as the Brits as far as names are concerned, I assume.

Alright, here's a chart to the American (USA) versions of fruit toppings and spreads!

Jelly is a clear, bright product. It is generally made by cooking fruit juice and sugar with pectin as a jelling agent and lemon juice as an acid to maintain a consistent texture. Jelly is firm and will hold its shape (it "shakes"). Generally, jelly contains no pieces of fruit, although specialty jellies, like pepper jelly, may include pieces of jalapeno or other pepper.

Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit cooked with sugar, and often pectin and lemon juice. Jam can be a puree of fruit or have a soft pulp, but it does not contain chunks of fruit.

Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar to the point where large chunks of fruit or whole fruit, such as berries, are suspended in a syrup base. The texture of preserves is not smooth like jelly or jam.

Marmalade is a soft jelly, often citrus-based, that includes both the flesh and peel of the fruit suspended throughout the jelly base. The bitterness of the peel offsets the sweetness of the jelly.

Conserve is a mixture of more than one fruit, often with added nuts and raisins, that is cooked until it becomes thick. It is used as a spread for breads, pastries and meats, and in the latter use is closest to chutney.

Chutney is a spiced condiment of Indian origin (chatni is the Hindi word for strongly spiced) made of fruit or vegetables. It is typically served as an accompaniment to food, not as a spread. The spice level can range from mild to hot, and the consistency from a fine relish to a preserve or conserve. Fruit chutney consists of chopped fruit, vinegar, spices and sugar cooked into a chunky sweet-tart-spicy mix: according to one explanation, it blurs the Western distinction between preserves and pickles.

Fruit Butter, such as apple butter or prune butter, is fruit puree or pulp combined with sugar, lemon juice and spices, slowly cooked down to a smooth consistency. The "butter" refers to its spreadability: there is no actual butter in the product.

Fruit Curd is a creamy spread made with sugar, eggs and butter, generally flavored with citrus juice and zest.

So here we have jelly. You can see that because in the jar it's fairly gelatinous, it spreads thinly and has no solid fruit in it:


Versus jam, which is a bit thicker and smooth, often with fruit pulp, puree, and seeds - but like jelly, it usually has very little solid fruit matter in it:


Versus preserves, which are made with definable chunks of fruit:

[BurgundyTears]

I don't know where Egann gets his almond butter. I assume he just fails to mix in all of the oil, because the almond butter my mom gave me up from Canada is very smooth and thin. It's practically liquid, in fact. And the jar definitely lists only almonds as an ingredient.

I put "other" all down the line because I think that as long as there is peanut butter, some kind of jelled fruit, and bread, it's a PB&J.

I never make them. Considering how much spread I slap onto toast in the morning, a PB&J would be a monster. But if I made one for myself, it would be smooth peanut butter (all natural, peanuts and salt only), jelly or jam from the Amanas (probably strawberry), and toasted potato bread (my "tasteless" bread of choice. If I want "good" bread, I'll bake it myself!).

I don't tend to like jam as much as jelly simply because the seeds get stuck in my teeth. And crunchy peanut butter is okay, but if I'm paying someone else to make it, it might as well be smooth!

[Emiko]

I love potato bread I haven't had it in a while though...

as for jelly and jam..I'm not to picky...I will have to say that I prefer black berry or black raspberry in whatever form.