This Is the Secret To Making a PB&J That Won’t Get Soggy (Yes, Even When You’re at the Beach or on a Hike)
PB&J is a pretty handy nutrient-rich lunch—especially if you're making it with fiber-rich whole-grain bread. The nut butter is full of protein and healthy fats, both necessities for feeling satiated and energized. It also doesn't need to be kept cold, making it the perfect snack or meal to bring to the beach or with you on a long hike. There's only one problem: anyone who has ever made a PB&J in advance knows that the jelly can make the whole sandwich soggy. And that's just gross. What's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lover to do? It was a food problem asked on Reddit and people were quick to respond with their best tips. Keep reading to see the top five.
5 ways to keep your peanut butter and jelly sandwich from getting soggy
1. Leave a border around the jelly.
One commenter—which earned over 1,000 upvotes—shared that the best way to keep a PB&J from getting soggy was to leave a border around the slice with the jelly instead of coating the entire piece of bread with it. "Use the proper amount of jelly, but don't spread it on the whole slice," the commenter said. Then, when you're ready to eat, gently push the middle of your sandwich so that the jelly spreads out. This cuts down on the jelly-to-bread exposure time, which is what makes the bread go soggy.
2. Top both sides of the jelly off with peanut butter.
When making a PB&J, the instinct is to slather one slice of bread with peanut butter, the other with jelly, and then marry them together. That works great if you're going to eat your sandwich right away, but if not, one Reddit user offers up an alternative way to make your 'which. "Put peanut butter on both slices of the bread with the jelly in the middle," they offer up. "This will keep your bread from soaking up the jelly and getting soggy." Similar with the first tip, the key is minimizing the amount of bread exposed to the jelly for hours on end. Either method gets the job done!
3. Swap your jelly for honey.
Several Reddit users advocate for trading the jelly for honey; it's just as sweet and the honey soaks into the bread, crystalizing it and giving it a bit of crunch—and no sogginess whatsoever. Think you'll miss the fruity taste of the jelly? Add sliced strawberries. Just make sure they're completely dry when you layer them on or else they'll make your bread soggy.
4. Toast your bread.
Several Reddit users commented that simply toasting your bread will make it a lot less of a spongy for the jelly. "My secret is putting both slices of bread together in one slot of the toaster. That way each slice of bread only gets toasted on one side. You then leave the soft wire bread on the outside and the toasted bread on the inside," one user recommended.
5. Make PB&J paninis.
This tip will take your peanut butter and jelly to a whole other level: "I have a panini press at home and toasting up some mini PB&J hot pockets is the best," one user says. "It takes one minute tops—just enough to toast the seal on the edges and warm it a bit for immediate consumption." The combo of toasting the sandwich and sealing the edges keeps it from getting soggy later.
There you have it: five ways to keep your sandwich from getting mushy so that whenever you bite into it, it tastes like you literally just made it. Now that we've brought back this childhood fave, can nap time be next?
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