# The Perfect PBJ **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393 "2019-01-25T14:30:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/41 "2019-01-26T01:32:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > … and salt! > > I just toasted up a Bays English muffin and spread some Smuckers Natural Creamy peanut butter and Meijer Strawberry Jam on it. Very delicious. Not my ideal PB&J, but fantastic nonetheless. I used to do toasted PB&J English Muffins all the time. It’s a great morning breakfast!! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/42 "2019-01-26T01:37:20Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > How could I forget this important factor. Yes, it must be made by a **mom** too. Moms know, for instance, the _correct way_ to cut the sandwich. With dads it can be hit or miss. Heck, you never know with a dad… they might slice the bread horizontally, so you end up with a ‘round top’ half and a ‘rectangular’ half - which needless to say can completely destroy the experience. I think I may start a poll: sliced vertically, sliced diagonally, sliced into four triangles, or (gasp) sliced horizontally :eek:. I suppose it should also include unsliced, though if you’re putting an unsliced PB&J into a sandwich bag for a school lunch, you’re just lazy and cheating. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/43 "2019-01-26T02:56:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **RTFirefly** : > > Before getting into more nitty-gritty stuff, let me just ridicule the notion that the perfect PB&J involves store-bought preserves. > > Yeah, I realize it’s the best option available to most of you, but life is tough. > > This winter, alas, my family and I are having to settle for my wife’s aunt’s homemade strawberry preserves, which kick the butt of anything available at the grocery. > > I say “settle” because her strawberry-guava preserves really knock it out of the park, but there must’ve been a terrible guava crop this past year, because guavas just aren’t to be found down her way. (Central Florida.) > > Since we’re talking about the ideal PB&J, I’d personally choose that strawberry-guava jam as the J, even if we currently don’t have any. It won’t be gone forever. My absolute favorite preserves is my mom’s tomato-garlic-basil marmalade… but it wouldn’t go right with peanut butter. And nobody in my family makes strawberry jam, with or without guava, rhubarb, or anything else. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/44 "2019-01-26T03:49:20Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I think I may start a poll: sliced vertically, sliced diagonally, sliced into four triangles, or (gasp) sliced horizontally :eek:. I suppose it should also include unsliced, though if you’re putting an unsliced PB&J into a sandwich bag for a school lunch, you’re just lazy and cheating. 😃 I saidxiagonally in my answer, but unsliced is almost as acceptable for me. No other types of cut, though. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/45 "2019-01-26T04:11:43Z")
Wonder bread, thick, thick, thick Peter Pan Honey Roasted smooth peanut butter, and a thick dab of apple jelly. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/46 "2019-01-26T05:50:03Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > In both cases, though, even a bad one is still pretty good! It took me way too long to figure out what they meant. Like 10 minutes later, cue the laughter. My perfect PBJ has this as my bread. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Currently we buy Oroweat Oatnut bread. This as a jam, although I don’t know **RTFirefly** ’s relatives, I’ve still had this combination before. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > strawberry-guava preserves The P part would be freshly ground cashews with a few peanuts thrown in to make it official. I’m also liking the idea of a heated English muffin with lots of nooks and crannies to catch the goodness of the preserves and the goodness of the nut butter on the other side and then smashed together. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/47 "2019-01-26T06:59:09Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > In both cases, though, even a bad one is still pretty good! There’s two kinds - good and better, amirite! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/48 "2019-01-26T07:08:01Z")
I don’t think my mom ever made me a PB&J. Which means I only had half a dozen or so before I was an adult. She thought, along with tuna fish, Oscar Meyer cold cuts, and Chef Boyardee, that PB&J sandwiches were trashy. :rolleyes: (I like all those sorts of things now except the Chef Boyardee) Anyway, I can’t say I crave PB sandwiches on the regular, but my favorite variants are: wholemeal bread with that honey-roasted PB and apricot jam, Or any bread with regular PB and a drizzle of honey or brown sugar, or a berry jam, or PB with Claussen’s pickle, a sprinkle of cayenne, and sharp cheddar cheese (my favorite). I know the latter sounds weird, but it’s fantastic. Oh, and the best bread (for white bread) is an airy Italian, French, or Vienna bread, sliced kinda thin. Butter optional. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/49 "2019-01-26T12:01:05Z")
My favorite cannot be recreated because I do not remember some key elements. Once a year in the 60s we would road trip it to my grandparents’ home in Quebec for a week. Granny would make us kids PB&J sandwiches that still resonate. I don’t know what type of PB or J she used, but I do remember her using white bread that was so soft on the inside with a wonderfully crisp crust. The slices were large - maybe 10 inches wide - and cut on the diagonal. Probably came from a local bakery. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/50 "2019-01-26T16:43:07Z")
Just made one yesterday, and I’m a purist. Pepper Ridge Farms Farmhouse White Bread, Jiff Creamy PB, and Welch’s Grape Jam. It would be hard to get better than that. Don’t get me wrong, for those suggesting bread with seeds and whatever, I like that too… mostly for smoothing dry wall. Seriously, I do like those breads but they don’t have a place in a proper PBJ. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/51 "2019-01-26T20:32:55Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Man, no fans of blackberry jam in here? That’s my favorite to go with Sunbeam Giant white bread and creamy Jif PB. Ever since they took out the seeds it’s just not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/52 "2019-01-26T22:28:24Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Just made one yesterday, and I’m a purist. Pepper Ridge Farms Farmhouse White Bread, Jiff Creamy PB, and Welch’s Grape Jam. It would be hard to get better than that. > > Don’t get me wrong, for those suggesting bread with seeds and whatever, I like that too… mostly for smoothing dry wall. Seriously, I do like those breads but they don’t have a place in a proper PBJ. Pepperidge Farms? Man, that stuff is _fancy._ ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/53 "2019-01-28T15:12:03Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I think I may start a poll: sliced vertically, sliced diagonally, sliced into four triangles, or (gasp) sliced horizontally :eek:. I suppose it should also include unsliced, though if you’re putting an unsliced PB&J into a sandwich bag for a school lunch, you’re just lazy and cheating. 😃 When I was in elementary school, what I usually demanded and got was a couple of “foldovers”. Smear your PB on a slice of bread, and fold it over, so you have one long rectangle. You don’t have to dirty another knife. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393/54 "2019-01-28T15:34:15Z")
The perfect PBJ sandwich consists of 3 pieces of cold rye bread, crunchy peanut butter, and a good grape jelly. The rye bread should preferably come from the middle of the loaf, to get the biggest pieces. One slathers crunchy pb on one side of each of two slices of the bread. Then one puts grape jelly one one side of the remaining piece. Turn that piece over (so the jelly side is down), then put it on top of one of the already peanut buttered slices. Smear more jelly on the empty side. Place the other slice with the pb on top of that. Now THAT is a properly made PBJ sandwich. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-perfect-pbj/828393.md?page=2)