The Easiest Way To Seal PB&J Sandwiches And Prevent Filling Leakage

A peanut butter and jelly is a timeless treat. As a child, you probably looked forward to opening your lunch box and seeing a sweet and savory sandwich that tastes like a meal and dessert all in one. As an adult, it's a quick, affordable dish that brings those pangs of nostalgia while still tasting just as good as you remember. But as with most sandwiches, the contents of this are not immune to leaking from between the two pieces of bread. Next time you want an easy trick for avoiding that unwanted leakage, try using a glass to seal the sandwich.

The peanut butter and jelly was invented more than 100 years ago, and it has certainly stood the test of time — and creative variations have emerged through the years. But between making it for your kids or just eating one yourself on the go, it's never a good situation when that dark jelly makes its way out of the bread and onto your clothes. If you have a wide glass, you can easily solve the problem.

The trick to sealing your peanut butter and jelly is to press the brim of the glass firmly into the bread until the two pieces of bread meet. Since the bread is soft and a little moist, those bread pieces will stick together as if it were a homemade Uncrustable. If the bread isn't staying as easily as you'd like, you can also crimp it with a fork. While the brimmed glass is in place, take a large fork and press firmly down on the bread around the glass. Once the whole sandwich is crimped, any additional bread outside the crimping area will detach easily from the crimped portion.

The circular crimped shape is also a lot of fun for the kids. Not only does it help prevent them from making a mess (or you — especially if you're eating one-handed on the go), but it also gets them excited for lunchtime when they see the shape.

Everyone's perfect PB&J is different. Some prefer strawberry jam to grape jelly or chunky peanut butter instead of smooth. But the bread is one of the most important parts of this sandwich, especially if you're going to be sealing it. For this purpose, choose a bread that's fluffy and has enough moisture. Fresh white bread is best. If it's stale, the bread won't connect properly when you push down with the glass. Plus, white bread tends to be easier to shape than something like rye or pumpernickel.

Avoid any kind of crusty bread. Ciabatta, Italian bread, or a French baguette won't work here because the glass won't be able to break through that crispy crust, and you could end up breaking the glass instead. Plus, these types of bread tend to be too thick for those thin layers of peanut butter and jelly. Grab two slices of soft white bread, and you'll master this trick in no time.