Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of a kids first comfort foods. I only know of one person in my life who doesn't like a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you are one of those people, that makes two. And their reasons for not liking it, are not important right now so I won't even mention it here – you don't really need to know....

What is peanut butter? If you read the label, the main ingredient is peanuts. Or at least it should be, depending on the brand you buy. The brand I buy when I don't make my own has just peanuts as the ingredients and nothing else. Many brands have added ingredients like sugar, salt, and things like hydrogenated oils. Which I don't like in my peanut butter.

Which Peanut Butter is "Best"

My favorite "brand" of peanut butter is the homemade kind. We have a Vita-mix, so I get a jar of unsalted dry roasted peanuts, pour them in, turn it on and 1 minute (or more) later – voila! Warm creamy peanut butter!

No preservatives or any of those baddies that caused the recent recall. If you decide to make your own, you can add a bit of maple syrup or honey if you prefer yours sweeter. We, however, just like plain unsalted peanut butter, extra creamy.

If you don't have a high-speed blender like a Vita-Mix, then you've probably found a brand you like to buy. When we don't feel like making our own, we usually buy Smucker's Natural. It doesn't contain added sugars or oils; however, the salt content is a little high. So be careful if that's an issue for you.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Now for the sandwich. I think the best bread for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is whole wheat (it's sturdier and depending on the brand you buy, it's a much healthier choice). Another good choice is rustic French or country white. The rustic French we found at a local farmers market, and it is so good – crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

Cut a couple of slices and spread with warm, freshly made peanut butter and your favorite jelly or jam and you have the best sandwich in the world – well maybe not the world – but at the moment. Either add a cup of ice-cold milk or orange juice and you have the perfect snack.

If you want to take your sandwich up a notch, spread a little butter on one side. Heat up a skillet and when warm, place sandwich butter side down. Spread a little butter on the other side while you're waiting for your sandwich to brown. Flip to brown the other side. You have a delicious grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Enjoy!

History of the PB&J

Historians who study the origins of food, have no written record of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich until after the 1940's. Some say the origin, or probably more accurately, the popularization on a large scale, of this yummy sandwich was during WW2. The GIs were given rations of both peanut butter and jelly.

I can just imagine the first soldier spreading peanut butter on his bread and then adding a little jelly, to help the peanut butter not be so sticky. Then sharing the idea with his buddies and the idea going "viral". When the soldiers came home, jelly and peanut butter sales went up dramatically. That sounds about right to me.

The plain peanut butter sandwich became popular with the younger crowd when Wonder bread was invented in the late 1920s. Gustav Papendick invented the process for slicing and wrapping bread.

Children no longer needed to try and use a sharp knife or ask Mom to slice the bread for them. They could make their own sandwiches now using a butterknife – safely. Also, the fact that sugar was added to peanut butter, made it even more appealing to children. They could have left that out though, in my opinion..., especially if jelly was being added to their sandwiches. Oh well....

Peanut butter, or PB&J, as we sometimes like to call them, sandwiches became a staple for children during the depression. The price was right. They were highly nutritious, especially providing protein when meat was scarce. They were easy to make. The perfect sandwich for kids. And when jams and jellies were added to the mix, Mom's had it made.

So how do you make a PB&J sandwich? If you want to learn how to make the perfect PB&J Sandwich, click here.

And did you know you could save the planet by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Click here to out from the PB&J campaign how you can do that. (Link will open in a new window).

A quick word. This page may contain affiliate links. 

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