The Intense Fruity Jam You'll Find On PB&J Sandwiches In Idaho

Reader's Digest polled their readers to learn their favorite sandwich fillings state by state. Amidst the regional classics like muffuletta in Louisiana and lobster rolls in Maine, and against the more complicated preparations of green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico and banh mi in Oregon, Idahoans decided to hold up a humble favorite: the PB&J.

But this peanut butter and jelly sandwich isn't your typical grape- or strawberry-forward fare. Those who reside in the Gem State look for any excuse to add huckleberries, which grow in the wild, to desserts, snacks, and school lunches alike. Huckleberries, if you haven't seen them, look like their cousin the blueberry, though they're smaller and more red-purple in color. They're also related to cranberries, but taste a bit sweeter and less tart. Huckleberries grow in subalpine underbrush, so you'll likely spot them as you hike around the Rocky Mountains or throughout the Pacific Northwest, particularly from July through September.

A sharp, sweet, tart berry jam does sound delicious when mixed with peanut butter, so maybe Idahoans are onto something. Wild huckleberry jam can be found in specialty food stores or ordered online, so why not try it yourself? Or, if you'd rather mimic the flavors with what you can find at home, try mixing a blueberry jam with a dab of cranberry sauce for a more intense flavor.

Relying on berries that grow locally is a great way to elevate an everyday sandwich. If you're passing through Oregon, try to find a marionberry jam to spread on bread or other baked goods. Marionberries are a redder, more tart iteration of blackberries. Or try an olallieberry jam, which is similar to blackberry and loganberry, as you drive along California's central coast. But this idea applies to other fruits as well: apple butter from Washington, cranberry sauce from Massachusetts, and peach jelly from Colorado would all make for amazing, list-topping sandwich fodder.

Speaking of lists, wild huckleberry jam could have a place in other states' sandwich favorites. Coloradans uphold the sandwich sanctity of "fool's gold," a sandwich served on sourdough that combines peanut butter, blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon. Swap the blueberries for huckleberries for an even more intense fruit flavor. Massachusetts natives point to fluffernutters, white bread spread with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, as the apex of snacking. Add a spoonful of huckleberry jam for a sharper bite and create an intra-national sandwich sensation.