Does a PBJ have a defined "up" side?
22d 1h ago by lemmus.org/u/FrChazzz in asklemmy
Inspired by yesterday's discussion on whether or not a hotdog is a sandwich, I've decided to wade into the waters of filled-bread food controversy. I am of the contention that jelly belongs on top of the peanut butter. What say you, Lemmings?
Depends on which fingers you want to get dirty.
Alright, now listen here you little shit...
not shit; peanut butter
You should make them a toaster with duct tape, a paperclip, and an old video cassette copy of Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons.
I judt started watching through the old episodes of Macgyver and this comment hits real close to home.
Edit: oh I see their username now.
Nice.
This is angry upvote material.
Take your god damn upvote
Do you think he washed his hands with soap & water after that photo was taken? Or do you think he licked his fingers clean?
I guess that would work for PB, but jelly is going to leave you with sticky fingers.
I think it might be AI, but I could be wrong.
Perhaps this is their first stage of foreplay before performing "the shocker" on his partner. Lubrication is important.
Remove this aberration from my line of sight immediately!
Or at least mark it with a content warning.
But you flipped your whole hand, still holding the sandwich, so you didn't change the top or bottom...
The 4th Earl of Sandwich would be highly offended by this.
The AI peanut butter sandwich
But all the fingers still get dirty?
Absofuckinglutely! The jelly will gooify the bread on on a much faster rate than the peanut butter. You have to eat that sumbitch jelly up and that’s all there is to it!
You don't just put a modest layer of peanut butter on both slices first?
Then the jelly squeezes out. You need the bread to absorb some of the jelly
Peanut butter is a guest, not help at the party.
Jelly on the top slice, probably because that side has less structural stability as it becomes moistened by the jelly/jam.
Also, you don't get the peanut butter stuck on your tongue
*roof of your mouth
The obviously correct answer is neither.
You have to peanut butter BOTH pieces of bread to create a jelly proof barrier. Then there is no top side!
My mom used to spread peanut butter on the bottom slice and dairy butter on the top slice for the jelly proofing.
Yeah she does that for me too
Can't say I'm not intrigued. 🤔
this is the correct answer, especially if you're making lunch for later... or using that cheap-ass walmart bread you can basically see through.
Jelly proofing sounds like something a novice adventurer does in an RPG to defend against slime-type monsters.
But then I get peanut butter on the jelly knife
That's the best part. You lick it off.
You have a sink
do I?
Yes
U sure?
I think, therefore I am
I sink, therefore I...
Am not a boat.
That's where I pee. What is the relevance to this discussion?
This is the only correct answer. If you make the PB a little thicker around the edges, it will create a sealed PB pocket to contain the jelly for transport.
It’s a matter of structural stability. Peanut butter, being more dense, makes for a superior foundation. In the event of earthquakes, sudden stops, or cabin depressurization, a PBJ with the peanut butter side down stands a stronger chance of maintaining position and surviving.
I put peanut butter on both slices, then jam on top of the peanut butter.
And no butter!
I don't know what's up with those weirdos buttering their bread before putting spreads on, but I'm not one of em!
This is the first time I've ever heard of this. I'm guessing it's to help prevent the bread from soaking up the peanut butter and jelly?
The peanut butter acts as a barrier to keep the bread from getting soggy. It’s a beautiful thing!
The bread doesn't really soak up peanut butter, but yes regarding the jelly.
My favorite stoned snack when I was younger was a double-decker PB&J made with toasted Eggo waffles. And I had building it down to a science:
Spread the PB on two of the waffles and set them aside. Take a second knife (or quick wipe of the first if you're lazy), spread jelly on one side of the third waffle. Put that waffle jelly-side down onto one of the PB waffles. Spread jelly on the now exposed flip side of the jelly waffle. Top it off with the second PB waffle... Boom, double-decker PB&J waffle sandwich.
Would often end up with a stomach ache the next morning after eating it at 2 am though lol
...toaster waffles? I'm trying to imagine unhinging my jaw enough to manage three full-sized waffles stacked...
Cannabis can make people do incredible things for food.
Really though, it wouldn't end up being thicker than regular sandwiches/burgers
Your jaw? You're not supposed to chew it, you're supposed to boof it.
If you're packing a PBJ for later, a thin layer of soft butter on the jelly side prevents it sogging the bread. Especially helpful if you're using preserves rather than jelly, so there's fruit-syrup between the fruit pieces. It also adds a nice little salty-umami flavor.
The whole "pb on both pieces of bread" thing is SPECIFICALLY for making the sandwich IN ADVANCE like making your lunch in the morning. If you're eating it immediately then that's unnecessary.
That method increases the likelihood of cross-contamination (don't get one ingredient in the other's jar, you heathen), so don't do it UNLESS you're making it in advance.
Anyway, the correct way (for eating-immediately scenarios) is jam on top, as it's less likely to drip that way.
You spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread, then wipe the knife off on the second slice, spreading a super thin layer of peanut butter across the surface to seal it, so the jelly doesn't seep in.
Then you use the now clean knife to spread the jam or preserves over the thin layer of peanut butter, and slap them together, and slice it in half.
Everyone keeps talking about structure. Yet no one seems to consider eating. If you do PB top side then you get PB stuck to the roof of your mouth
Exactly. Save some in the roof for an after lunch snack.
Smeone was raised by squirrels
Jelly belongs on top. Peanut butter belongs on the bottom. Banana belongs on top of the peanut butter. Chia seeds must be worked into both peanut butter and jelly before setting the banana.
If I find chia seeds in my pb&j I'm crashing out
Not a fan of chia seeds?
I can't imagine how anybody could eat something and not think "Man, this would be so much better with thousands of tiny dirt flavored beads mixed in!"
I like the crunch, I find the grit gives it a good texture. They're also REALLY good for you.
Then might I recommend a beach picnic. You can get that same chia seed experience for free!
That's what crunchy peanut butter is for.
And when crunchy is not enough...
Motherfucker's talking about adding crunch to a peanut butter banana sandwich?
Crushed walnuts wouldn't be a bad addition
Worst Chia Pet ever
Peanut butter is placed on BOTH sides of bread, and the jelly goes in-between those layers of peanut butter. This keeps the jelly from making your bread soggy.
I've never had a problem with jelly-sogged bread.
My approach for the more liquidy sandwich toppings is to deliberately give them direct access to the bread so that they soak up in it instead of dripping out. It doesn't get soggy because the bread is toasted.
Jelly stuck inside layers of impenetrable peanut butter sounds like a mess either when the sandwich compresses during the first bite or later on, when your bite includes the centre of jelly mass.
Though for maximizing peanut butter (which is also a worthy goal), you could do both pieces of toast but leave a gap in the middle of one (or both).
How much jelly do you heap on there?! I always figure a thin layer is plenty.
TBF I mostly eat PBJ toast, so the gobs of jam effect isn't something I have to worry about
It's mostly an issue for sauces rather than jam or jelly. The other comment just reminded me of my old method where I'd inadvertently seal the bread away and then get more dripping.
This is the way
but how does the jelly crystalize in the bread then?
the best part of a PBJ is the smooth pb and the crunchy jelly.
From top to bottom:
Bread
Light layer of PB
Regular layer of Jelly
Regular layer of PB
Bread
You seem to be the only other person on this thread that knows how to make a proper PB&J.
the 'proper' way to make a pb&j is with jam, not jelly.
I mean, it's objectively not considering it's called a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
A bloody mary involves neither blood nor, in most cases, any Mary.
Apples to oranges. A PB&J is directly referring to peanut butter and jelly. In a similar vein, if I order a BLT and it comes with banana, lemon, and tofu instead of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, I would call it a pretty shitty BLT.
Damn right. I want something solid, not juice.
If you want something solid, leave out the jam and add a thick slice of swiss
Whichever one I want to taste more of on the next bite goes down!
Does nobody else flip their sandwiches over periodically like this?
Nope. Those are autistic waters.
Sure, but this is Lemmy!
Yes entirely, it makes a difference.
Stripes. Side by side. Peanut butter next to jelly next to peanut butter, and so on. No top. No bottom. Just utter chaos.
If you can spread peanut butter on top of jelly, you're a witch.
You spread it on the bread, then flip it onto the PB.
A WITCH! BURN HER!
Correctly made, a PB&J should be symmetrical. A layer of peanut butter on each slice of bread with jelly in between, so the jelly doesn't sog up the bread, especially if the sandwich is to be stored for awhile as in a packed lunch.
So each slice should be 1/2 covered in jelly and 1/2 covered in peanut butter?
While I agree with all the comments about structural integrity, I'll point out that platonically, it's a peanutbutter sandwich with jelly, and condiments belong on top of meats, not under them.
How did meat get on your peanut butter sandwich?
Also, why? And why are you then putting jelly on that mess?
Additionally, what meat?
I'm betting meat means protein carrier in this case.
It means "the primary focus of the sandwich".
It can mean that If it's used singularly.
This is the way.
ah yes, Jelleaus, Plato's finest dialogue
Just use the Reese's peanut butter since there's no wrong way to eat a Reese's.
Yes, but there can be debates on which version of Reese's is the best. I've become accustomed to the ratio in the miniatures, and while I would never turn down a regular one, it now tastes a bit off. I once got a giant Reese's for Christmas and discovered you can't eat that right, it's going to be too much of one or the other usually.
But that does bring a memory back. I remember seeing the first commercials for Reese's as a kid, and it was around Easter. You better believe I grabbed the chocolate bunny I got and a jar of peanut butter to test the theory!
Originals are the one and only correct proportions. Nothing else they’ve tried is anywhere near the perfection of the original
But enshittification happens, and the best Reese’s by far is Trader Joe’s
Oh man, you just reminded me of those... we don't have Trader Joe's in Hawai'i (which is kinda weird, yeah? Given their whole aesthetic and all). I've not really cared much. But you just brought to mind something they have that is truly excellent.
I look forward to reading the debate about toilet roll orientation tomorrow.
This is one of those things my wife and I have debated back and forth for years. Aesthetically, I prefer the "under" but in terms of actual usability the "over" orientation is best. However, that being said, living in Hawai'i has brought a new insight on this subject: wind. Where we live is super breezy and we keep our windows open year-round. Rolled paper that is oriented in the "over" configuration is more liable to get blown around. The "under" configuration prevents this. But for us this only really applies to our paper towels in the kitchen.
The under configuration is incorrect, but may be necessary in the presence of high winds, cats, or toddlers.
No mullets!
(Except, as you said, for wind or cats).
I've had cats just shred the roll in their attempts. Toddlers don't care about configuration. They will unroll that paper with impunity.
Jelly goes in the center. Both slices of bread should have a thin coating of PB to keep the bread from getting soggy with jelly.
Yes, this is the answer!
Jelly on top, peanut butter on the bottom, bread in the middle
Jelly on top, if you use the same knife for both peanut butter and jelly, you'll mix jelly with the PB in the jar. I know I don't want that, but to each his own, I guess. PB doesn't tend to get into the jelly jar as much, in my experience, but again, to each his own.
I just wipe the jam off the knife onto the clean slice of bread before doing the peanut butter side. No getting it in the peanut butter jar.
Every single answer so far says jelly up. I've never eaten a pbj the right way apparently. I've always put jelly on bottom.
Yes, peanut butter and fluff; a fluffernutter.
three pieces of bread. the outer two each get pb on one side, the inner one gets j on both sides
50% PB and 50% J per slice of bread. Make two lines of ingredients and then alternate the order on the 2nd, so all 4 quadrants are touching their counterpart.
What if you just mixed the jelly and the peanut? Has anyone tried this? Does it fuck with the mouthfeel?
Don't know if it's still around, but Smucker's or someone made a jar of peanut butter and jelly swirl. It was good, but yeah, the mouthfeel was off when used for the sandwich.
It's existence led to this Mr. Show skit.
And I am sorry to say this, but Mustmayostardayonnaise Lincoln was a Jan 6th rioter. (I secretly love having used that brand new sentence.)
Maybe we could put PB and J in tubes and make alternating lines like this? I feel like this would distribute the sog evenly and not ruin the mouthfeel as much.
... I really should get back to work instead of trying to reinvent the PBJ.
It’s gross, don’t do this
Does anything in the Universe have a defined "up" side?
Let us discuss over a jug of absinthe.
Jelly on top gang checking in.
Jelly on top, absolutely. In all sandwiches, ingredients must go from least dense at the top to most dense at the bottom. This is part of the sandwich bitelaws.
Not true,ingredients must go from most dense at the bottom to least dense at top!
The real pro tip is you peanut butter both sides then jelly center.
This is what I do, except the jelly is on both sides of a third and toasted piece of bread.
Genius.
Peanut butter is usually heavier, so I put it on the bottom.
I put it on the bottom
🤨
Peanut butter goes directly on the bottom slice of bread, then the jelly (or jam, or honey) gets spread on top of the peanut butter. That way you can mix the two flavors together. Top is either a blank slice of bread, or you can spread a thin layer of PB or dairy butter on the slice to prevent it from soaking up the wetter spread if you won't be eating the sandwich right away.
Everyone knows it's jelly in the middle, peanut butter on each slice of bread.
I prefer the jelly hit my tongue first because the PB can pierce it. If PB is first, my tongue is coated and resists the jelly.
yall not adding vegemite to your pb&js are missing out.
Peanut butter on both slices, jelly in the middle. No I won't take questions.
Damn, they had me beat by an hour.
You’re supposed to apply peanut butter to half of each slice of bread, then jelly to the other half of each slice (so they’re mirror image), then put them together. That way both sides have equal amounts peanut butter and jelly, and it’s 180° radially symmetrical. The best sandwiches are radially symmetrical.
I'm much more a PB & Honey guy but for both I'll be honest... I don't make a sandwich. Single slice all the way.
Why would you have jelly with peanut butter?
Surely it's too sweet? Pb and Jam is already pushing it for sweetness (still delicious though)
Based on the "jelly" you sent, it seems that you might be in the UK, which might be causing the confusion - in the US, our "jelly" is like jam or preserves, whereas the product you posted would be called "Jello" or "gelatin" :)
Grape jelly
vs grape jello
I am British, but to be honest I already know about the Americanism and was pretending not to for a joke 😅
I like that you did explain it though, Poe's Law is a thing after all, so it's very possible I would be one of the people who don't know the difference between en-GB and en-US on that particular topic
Wait, but how do I separate the peanut butter from the jelly?
Whatever side I want to taste more goes on the bottom.
Goes on the bottom for that bite!
Wrong, wrong, everyone is wrong! Blend it together so it’s a uniform mix of jelly and peanut butter.
We once accidentally got a jar of crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth - didn't check the label. Neither of us had time to go back to the store, so we decided the hell with it - put it in the blender, we'll make it smooth.
Whipped peanut butter is amazing!
Goddamn menace to society, that’s what you are.
Pb&j goes on a tortilla. It is best as a burrito, or chimichanga if you have a pot of hot oil.
The answer is it doesn't matter. The only important factor is that you cut off all the crusts.
I like to think of the end slices of the bread loaf as a special treat that encrusts your whole sandwich when used together.
About 15 years ago, I switched to open faced PB& J sandwiches. Each slice of bread gets peanut butter first, then jam or preserves on top. It's perfect.
Nobody else does this?
Thats not a sandwich then…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_sandwich
Since we're not lawyers, this should be OK.
Everyone is a lawyer on the internet. 🤔
No.
Even if there is an up side, good luck trying to define it.
I know I am in the minority but I hate PB and J. In my opinion all that does is ruin the peanut butter.
The key is unsweetened peanut butter.
Tastes much better then (and you have to use a small amount of jelly/jam).
IMO, Apple Butter works best.
The sweetness isn’t the issue for me, the combination is just disgusting to me no matter the quantities or fruit used. But I am glad you have found something that works for you!
Likewise I enjoy apple butter most with no other additions.
This is the American version of the jam/cream debate for scones. Incidentally, cream on top, fight me if you think otherwise!
The bread with the Jam can land in the trash in whichever orientation it pleases.
I make PBJ toast for breakfast a lot. Spread peanut butter first, then jelly, eat slices separately.
On "running late" days, I used to make it into a toast sandwich & eat in the car (WFH now). I'd still spread the toppings on both slices out of habit, I think.
You want the peanut butter next to the bread, due to its fat content, to prevent the jam (or jelly) soaking in to the bread and making it soggy. Best to spread both slices with peanut butter and have the jam in the middle. (as an aside for my fellow Brits this is why Devon has the correct approach to cream teas).
I put PB on the inward facing faces of the bread and J on the outward faces - excluding the two bread slices that are on the outside of the sandwich of course, those only get PB, while the innermost slice has J on both sides. (I usually make them with an odd number of slices so there is a defined middle slice)
Bread, definitely. Fillings should go in the middle
I'm more of a 3 slice pbj my self
Sometimes I make it jelly side down if the jelly is really watery, and I let it sit for a couple minutes so the jelly soaks into the bread, but then I always flip it for eating. This helps prevent all the jelly from splooging out all the sides when I bite it, because I like my PB+j LOADED.
I always put the peanut butter on top because it sticks to the bread better. If I pick up a slice of bread with jelly, there's more of a chance that some could fall off.
No, only downsides. Your jelly is more sugar than fruit, what passes for bread is an abomination, and peanut butter is typically more hydrogenated oil than peanuts...
Every once in a while I make loaf or real bread - but I can never keep it in the kitchen long enough to put anything else on it because it is so good. Not that real bread needs help anyway.
My grandma used to make some jelly without all the non-fruit additions (is this Jam?). I have also made peanut butter from just peanuts (and you can even buy this in stores). These would be required to have a good PBJ, but as I said, I can't keep real bread around long enough to see if there would be any upside to such a creation - my guess is hiding the flavor of real bread means this too is a downside but I will never know.
Oooooh no! Tut tut good sir, I only eat pea-nut-but-ter-and-preserrrrve sandwiches! What do you take me for, some sort of street urchin, a ruffian, or a cad? Shame upon your family sir! Good day!
The top of a sandwich made of sliced bread is the same as the top side of the loaf.
A sandwich made of sliced bread has six sides. Two broad sides and four thin, crusted sides. Three of the crusted sides are straight and one is curvy. The curvy side is the top of the sandwich.
That's the top of the bread but not the top of the sandwich.
As an Australian I'd like to say that jelly doesn't go in sandwiches or anywhere near peanut butter. Jelly is a dessert food. Some people like it with ice cream or cake or pudding. It doesn't go with savoury lunch foods.
I think this is something that gets lost in translation sometimes between different English dialects
When you say "jelly"are you referring to a fruit preserve similar to jam that gets it's gelatinous qualities from pectin
Or are you referring to a gelatin-based dessert like Jello?
When most Americans talk about peanut butter & jelly, we're talking about the former.
We don't have the word "jello" in Australian English, so I'm not sure what you're asking.
Here in Australia, what we know as "Jelly" is what Americans call "Jello" and what they call "Jelly" is like a pulpless, seedless Jam. A PB&J is Peanut butter and grape jam in a sandwhich.
It doesn't have to be grape. And it can have pulp and/or seeds, but most people prefer the type without.
Maybe you need some visual aids
This is what most Americans mean when we say "jelly." It's a spreadable preserve similar to jam.
And this is a gelatin/gelatine dessert, in America it's commonly called "jello" after the brand name, and I believe in what you call "jelly"
I believe this is a common brand where you are 
So which one were you thinking of when you wrote your comment.
?
You get a plate and 2 pieces of bread. Peanut butter one piece, jelly the other, then stick them bread-side-up to the plate. Consume with a knife and fork like a civilized person.
After you top both pieces with Swiss cheese and ketchup of course.
hurk
Throw them both in the trash and make a good tasting sandwich.
PBJ is just gross.
Thems fightin ' words
Lol true. People are gonna like what they like.
I just never could understand the appeal. Give me a club, a rueben, a meatball grinder, a ham and Swiss, roast beef on rye. Even a peanut butter honey banana.
The appeal is that you just need a couple of jars and some bread to make them. All those other options require a lot more time to cook with more cleanup after.
I would do jelly on toast and peanut butter on toast, but all of that on bread is just a squishy nasty tasting mess.
Those all sound delish too.
wait til you see the pbj burger. it's so fucking good.
That sounds horrible, I could not eat that.
So what flavor jelly is the best with a peanut butter buger?
The ones ive had are usually like a semisweet pepper jelly of some kind. There's a place around here that sells one with bourbon bacon jam. The PB is usually an unsweetened natural-type of peanut butter.
ive also had ones thst just used strawberry preserves. honestly its one of those things thst sound gross until you try it so i understand
Bourbon bacon jam I am on board with. 100 percent on peanut butter that is peanuts and salt. No sugar.
I'd give it a try.