The Surprisingly Short History of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

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In this video:
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is such a staple of American childhood these days that it seems like it’s been around, well, forever. In fact, it took a surprisingly long time after all the necessary ingredients were invented for someone to put them together, and several decades more before doing this became popular. In fact, there are people alive today in America who grew up in a world where the PB&J sandwich simply wasn’t well-known at all. gasp
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Sources:
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut_b...
www.kitchenproject.com/history...
www.seriouseats.com/2007/04/th...
recipes.howstuffworks.com/hist...
www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_bo...
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[@TodayIFoundOut]

Now that you know the history of the PB&J watch this video and find out What Makes Peanut Butter Stick To The Top Of Your Mouth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f37FYqqCg6-UnbM

[@johnbockelie3899]

How about Marmalade.???

[@Embersfamilynow]

Me!!!

[@davidherbst]

Anyone else make a PB&J sandwich while watching this?

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

Yeah

[@calebleland8390]

Nope. My daughter finished off the jelly. :(

[@Kinobambino]

Yup

[@justinekim4102]

Lmao I was eating one

[@susannestein3955]

I had been craving one for weeks but had no jelly, but I was able to get some from the store today. As I was making the sandwich, I searched for the history of PB&J sandwiches and came upon this video. Of course I watched it as I ate!!!

[@Freakinawesome333]

Sliced bread: the best thing since wrapped bread.

[@elizabethmcwhorter3445]

wrapped bead: the best thing since leavening

[@abyschaaf6985]

Leavening: the best thing since wheat

[@marykth]

Lmao😂

[@Damond_Warrior]

Wheat: best thing since rocks

[@scyline4310]

Rocks: the best thing since air

[@shotavodka]

I'm glad I didn't grow up in a world without PB&J sandwiches.

[@ooloncolluphid7904]

I did. We used the dried and reconstituted body fluids of yaks that had died from exposure. But the jelly was easier... you just drain the... forget it.

[@SupersuMC]

+oolon colluphid Please, continue.

[@agentmothman5343]

Kenny Hartley I'm glad I did.

[@katsuki427]

Sup Bro!

[@Damond_Warrior]

Supersum Creations are you psychopath

[@ariefraiser140]

PBJ sandwiches are in the Sandwhich Hall of Fame. Simple, filling, delicious.

[@SpectateDrake]

Chefs kiss: 😗👌🏾

[@natelogos7662]

I visited the Netherlands in 2001. When I made a PB&J sandwich, the family I was staying with was shocked and disgusted. They had never heard of peanut butter and jelly being combined, and they refused to try it.

[@mylegsjustdivorced137]

Cause it is disgusting 🤢

[@KingNekro]

​@@mylegsjustdivorced137 Sure if you don't have taste buds.

[@43mafia]

​@@mylegsjustdivorced137a white person's speaking on taste?nah I'm good

[@tag1462]

Pb&j is a comfort food and a family tradition.

[@K20TypeR]

Watching this whilst eating a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with coffee in the U.K. Working a night shift shortly so this little meal will give me the necessary energy. Stay strong people.

[@shaunsmith9801]

IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!!

[@TzarBomb]

The dawn of the memes.

[@nettlescats3796]

Peanutbutterjellytime-Peanutbutterjellytime-Peanutbutterjellytime!

[@zactolan561]

wey yat

[@Hromovlad1]

with a baseball bat

[@annettefournier9655]

Bonus fact. Pectin is not necessary to make most jelly or jam. The secret is in using the whole fruit before straining off the juice for jelly. And for jam using a mixture of ripe and less ripe berries which amp up the natural pectin or adding citrus zest which does the same. Then you just use equal parts of sugar to fruit. Essentially jam and jelly are just extremely thick fruit syrup. It's very easy to make but does take a bit of patience to cook. Basic jam; equal parts sugar and crushed berries. That's it!

[@rparl]

annette fournier Mary Ellen jams said they were "a cup to a cup."

[@ooloncolluphid7904]

Umm..... okay... pectin is a natural part of plants and fruit cells. So yes, pectin is at the very heart of the process. It's what causes the gelling in the first place. Using the whole fruit or citrus zest like you're suggesting adds _pectin._

[@annettefournier9655]

oolon colluphid adding separate pectin. Of course natural pectin in the fruit themselves is what makes them gel. In cooking if you say pectin in the list of ingredients it is referring to added pectin not the natural pectin content.

[@MParentWetmore]

annette fournier Thanks Annette! I make jam, cool to know.

[@l.e.a.d.761]

annette fournier ,

[@Roflmao0001]

Peanuts aren't a legume because they're grown underground, they're a legume because they are seeds held within a casing.

[@raysills]

Good point... there are legumes (peas, green beans, etc) that grow nicely above ground.

[@patrickfrench4829]

eh no thats actually a shitty point. "seeds held within a casing" perfectly describes nuts. So it must be something more specific.

[@erinmchugh6425]

you must be fun at parties

[@aidancampos5706]

Patrick French No. “seeds held within a casing” does not perfectly describe all true nuts. However this point is irrelevant For your reply you are saying his comment is a shitty point, while it would be more widely understood should he clarify slightly more, it’s not necessary as you can readily find the definition of a legume, also; by your implication of the apparent fact (your opinion) that OP is making a point that doesn’t separate nuts and legumes enough for easy understanding, you yourself are making a rather shitty point as nuts botanically refer to hard shelled fruits containing a seed where the pods do not open to release and/or reveal the seed - this however is not true for most legumes which will spring open because of their dehiscence when dry and ripe to release the seed, some minuscule exceptions are Prosopis and Ceratonia species along with a few more, this information is also, readily available.

[@patrickfrench4829]

"Peanuts aren't a legume because they're grown underground," (true) "they're a legume because they are seeds held within a casing". (wrong) Because nut exist. Not an opinion but a fact.

[@JwilliamsAssociates]

They always photo those with Jelly and Peanut-butter oozing from the edges and onto the counter. I am pretty exacting and would be pissed if I got it everywhere. But in a pic it looks yummy.

[@jeffreyb.2817]

My sister was a US exchange student in Australia. When her host mom asked her what she wanted for her packed school lunch. She asked for a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. The host mom refused to make it, so my sister did, confused as to the issue. The entire host family stared at her and were shocked that Amercans ate something so strange.

[@nicholasruff8354]

Peanut butter on celery is actually really good, especially with raisins on top.

[@jakeb.3497]

Bone apple tea

[@chunkyboy2670]

Raisins? Hahahahshahahaha!!!!!!!! You serious?

[@scibear9944]

Oh Yea! Great and healthy snack. With raisins called ants on a log.

[@43mafia]

Healthy yes good? No and u must be white

[@stevelubin6533]

I think I'll make myself a pb&j sandwiche. Thanks Simon.

[@tohopes]

Ooh, I love that you wrote it in french.

[@lilz]

Steve Lubin planning that after my nails finish drying lol

[@TheArrogantMonk]

Simon, although improvement is a never ending process, I find your channel to be perfectly polished. It’s very well balanced. Thank you for the time you put into this!

[@hardknocks666]

can you give a brief history of the sloppy joe sandwich and how it became popular in the U.S?

[@PerplexiaX]

I definitely second that thought! :-)

[@jasonblalock4429]

Yeah, it even lends itself to a clickbaity title: "Who is the 'Joe' in sloppy joe sandwiches?"

[@Scribe13013]

And make it extra sloppy!

[@Broken_robot1986]

I fourth that.

[@rolliebear42]

Yes! And the related Maid Rite, Jus Rite, loose meat sandwiches, et-al.

[@waldemarsha252]

Thank you guys for making good job on your videos. Wish you good stuff.

[@bryanyang2097]

All these years, I've been calling jam as jelly. Thank you for the information Simon and his team.

[@wholeNwon]

Like most other students, I usually carried my lunch in grade school. My lunchbox held sandwiches (always PB&J) and a thermos of tomato soup. Mom always offered other things but I'd want nothing else. Sometimes I'd trade half a sandwich with another kid. Good times!

[@johnmont47]

Man does not live by bread alone!He needs peanutbutter and jelly!

[@CockatooDude]

Simon whistler, you talk like I read the warning labels or instruction manuals on things. Very precise.

[@crispyboy4735]

😂😂😂Mr peanut goes to war 😂😂😂

[@JohnnyParanoid]

I used to have a friend from Coventry, England who saw me eating a PB&J sandwich and thought it was a disgusting idea. I didn't know at the time, but apparently nobody in England eats PB & jelly/jam together. He also said root beer tasted like some kind of childhood medicine they have there and was also disgusting.

[@varana]

That feeling is shared by many non-Americans, I think - PB&J sandwiches and root beer are quintessentially American. I would never have thought of putting peanut anything and jam together, and root beer is for those who want bad-tasting medicine but aren't sick enough. :D

[@cyclone19692000]

im from the UK and ive eaten both PB and jelly/Jam separate at the same sitting and the thought of putting the two together make my stomach heave but I also understand that what is normal for me/us is not for others so ill leave it to you guys to eat PB&J in one and ill have two separate sandwiches

[@Raycheetah]

Offer 'em PB and honey. It's awesome! =^[.]^=

[@theharvestproject5157]

PB&J and root beer are nasty but let's put yeast byproduct (Marmite) on a cheese sandwich, that's so much more appetizing.

[@JohnnyParanoid]

Yeah, most people in the US don't even know what Marmite/Vegemite is and the few that I know whom have tasted it didn't like it. I, however, do like yeast extract, in small amounts. ; )

[@nateslovebug]

I never liked PB and J until I used Jalapeno jelly. It isn't the overwhelmingly sweet that standard jellies are, and the heat pairs well with sweet and savory peanut butter. :)

[@morskojvolk]

I love Jalapeno jelly, but never thought of using it for a PBJ! Awesome idea, thanks!

[@jonathanbrooks4969]

My personal variation is PB&J on toast, which adds warmth, and Fluffer nutter PB & J, in which you do marshmellow creme on one slice, and peanut butter and jam on the other and then come together with a center piece of bread with PB so marshmellow comes together with PB also.. triple decker.

[@calebleland8390]

We ate fluffer nutter sandwiches all the time growing up, but we never had jelly/jam on them. I might have to try that.

[@RetroMonkey1999]

Pb&j on toast is the best. The pb gets so creamy

[@agentp6621]

I had heard that it forever became even more popular in the baby boomer generation during the 40's-60's as a common school lunch item. Because a well known pediatrician at the time claimed it was good for providing school children with the carbs from the bread, jam/jelly and peanut butter to give them energy to focus in class. Protein to stick with them till they get through till their evening meal. It also had certain vitamins for good health and energy like B vitamins. On another note. Peanut butter is still a staple in U.S. military rations today. They've tried to change things a bit by offering both creamy and chunky along with chocolate peanut butter. It isn't every ration that has peanut butter that has the fixings for a PB&J but there are a select few that do. They offer strawberry Jam, grape jelly, blackberry jam (awesome) and apple jelly. I believe they may have had apple butter at one point. So one meal might have crackers and peanut butter or jelly/jam but not always both peanut butter and jelly. They also have something considered wheat snack bread. It's the army's attempt at offering real bread that's soft. I like them a lot but my fellow soldiers hate them. Can't really describe the taste but texture is similar to pita bread. I had a buddy in basic training who was set on having a PB&J at least once every day in basic. Whether in the chow hall or in the field. I think he succeeded. He had to trade some items to get what he needed but he got it. The army likes peanut butter because it offers protein, fat and carbs all packed into one substance that is cheap. I considered requesting for walnut or almond butter but they can be anywhere from 3-5 times as much.

[@gedders]

I forgot what the video was on but I was doing research into learning HTML and CSS coding and found a video you made that was really old explaining something. Was pretty ace to have you teaching me something for uni!

[@timsong93]

Great u added in the thorough explanation between jelly and jam

[@axiomist1076]

Great show. I love PBJ since I started living in the US (1960) and discovered it one day in 8th grade when a schoolmate traded lunches with me and I got his PBJ. I was hooked for life. It's great with orange juice. The acidity of the OJ balances wonderfully the sweetness of the PBJ. Take a bite of sandwich and a sip of juice. Yum !

[@jamesware5100]

in elementary school we used to trade bologna and cheese with mayo for 2 pb and j ! Sometimes Mom would make PB&B {sliced banana} with honey. Bologna was favorite with my Japanese friends and I was amazed by Octopus.

[@ethanwagner6418]

A friend of mine just discovered the deliciousness of PB&Js about a month ago. It now seems to be one of his favorite meals to bring into work.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

I recall watching interviews with Americans who were alive when pre-sliced bread was introduced to the market. Until then, perfectly uniform slices of bread seemed a great luxury, so ordinary people were eager to try pre-sliced bread ... and they loved it.

[@etsyjancoup6995]

This just inspired me to have my first ever pb&j sandwich......wow I've been missing out!

[@jamesware5100]

They are so simple.Try a triple decker.follow with drink of your choice.its considered a snack.not a full meal

[@ffeellixisfine7277]

Bonus fact! Don't let any jam fall on your keyboard. You will come back from work and find your dog has destroyed it. ; )

[@scottmantooth8785]

enjoyed this one very much

[@Kinobambino]

1:30 AM and I'm researching the history on pb& jelly sandwiches

[@GameLion-Channel]

Omg, exactly the same time and one year later!

[@-OokySpooky-]

Its great bc I looked this up while making a late snack just out of curiosity and as I was finishing up i got to the part of "peanut paste and currant" which my pb&j was straight up a traditional presided brioche, peanut butter, and black currant. So I was eating the og authentic stuff the whole time

[@RamonGH1111]

Hi Simon. I like a lot your videos. Thanks for doing them. I hope you make soon one about why and how "the rest is history" was created and when that started. Thanks and best regards

[@amandajones661]

I love the mixed jam called Traffic Jam. Yummy.

[@glennjpanting2081]

Who are all these people who say they have never had a PB&J??? Where are you from that you've never known the childlike joy of thick, luscious peanut butter and sweet fruit jam lovingly embracing each other between two slices of soft, pillowy white bread? I'm over 50 years old, and I still love it. There's nothing like it in the world to make you feel like a kid again! It's the ultimate comfort food! 😍

[@Pretentigon]

People outside the us and Canada

[@christopherchadsey9266]

1900: A rich decedent dessert topping for rich people 2000: given in food boxes everywhere to the poor

[@ImBakesirl]

I was just thinking of this in the morning today. Neat

[@lukewilliams8548]

Thanks. I wondered about it as I was about to make a PBJ. Then I watched it while making it. Now I know.

[@VieneLea]

Peanut butter and jelly are really a great combo. I bought PB once to try it out, and it was pretty meh on just a bread alone, so I asked some Americans how can I improve it. They recommended jelly or banana, and both were extremely tasty.

[@Jetfalcon4]

So many bonus facts do a part 2 we need more PB&J

[@SirMarblesYT]

This is my life. PB&J is still my favorite in high school.

[@jazmanejont373]

Peanut better jelly is really delicious I absolutely adore it one of the best basic sandwiches ever made

[@christopherstewart6468]

This is, by far, the deepest and most important video you've ever done.

[@MrTerminalZ]

There's like 300 things I would give up before PB&J's and rootbeer. I'm so American.

[@storyteller1225]

Just awesome!

[@derrickzeller3351]

PB&J is my all time favorite sandwich. Anyone else?

[@calebleland8390]

Probably right after Reubens and hot ham and cheese.

[@Kahtini]

Find it interesting at where I'm living (Pacific NW) jelly has the seeds and fruit bits, and jam is the smoother one. Wondering if someone mucked up on the labeling during production at one point and just left it.

[@miltonroberts7948]

Didn't realize that I grew up with the introduction of sliced bread, and peanut butter.I do remember seeing both sliced and unsliced bread in grocery stores when I was very young.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

What about the 'Fluffernutter", a 60 year old treat. bread, peanut butter and marshmallow spread. Was or is the official sandwich of the State of Massachudetts

[@kolethall2716]

Me and my son enjoyed a pb&j while watching this.... very nice. :) he said we're eating like royalty. Yes my son, yes we are! 🥰

[@treydog8157]

Same but I am the son

[@nerdymidgetkid]

It doesn't surprise me at all that a meal like this didn't come around until World War II. When you kept referring to its late arrival, I was convinced you were going to say the '80s or '90s. If anything, it's older than I would have guessed.

[@Downhaven]

This is an amazing channel.

[@jamesfleming1155]

I love this channel lmao

[@screamingcactus1753]

I want that "Mister Peanut goes to war" poster so bad now.

[@meierb75]

Thanks Simon. It’s 12:15 am local, but I am going downstairs to have a pb with strawberry jam. Once again, thanks for being the enabler that you are.

[@moefoe3485]

Cool video ! I’m super stoned and I made myself a pb&j , as I took a bite , I thought to myself?... who came up with this perfect combo. And now I’m here , still high af lol.

[@jasontanner9755]

When I was visiting the UK. I had a craving for peanut butter, I got some and jelly. My friends kids killed off the jars within hours after they saw me eating a PB&J sandwich. Same with the American cheese slices I got for making cheeseburgers the night before.

Jason Tanner Poor kids!

[@Food4ThoughtPodcast777]

Currently eating Pbj and a Mimosa ...Surprisingly Amazing!!!

[@Cerulean0987]

I find it amazing that many Brits and Irish have never had PB&J.

[@jamesware5100]

simplicity confuses them

[@ROGER2095]

Try buttering and grilling a PB&J like you were making a grilled cheese - Delicious!

[@kikyo4815]

PB&J is popularly eaten in Canada as well, although I grew up eating it with jam rather than jelly.

[@AvailableUsernameTed]

Very interesting. I thought I invented the 3 bread slice PBJ (to delay the mixing of jam and peanut butter until its in the mouth) but apparently not.

[@carlopton]

Apple Butter is popular in this area. Some will use flour to make a pancake like item, then put in the apple butter, fold over, and pinch the edges together, and then bake or fry. Very yummy either way. I have never made, but have watched my mother and others make it. Fried seems to taste better to me. I'm certain that there must be many recipes online for this concoction. I always wondered about what apple butter is, and this video hit on what this actually is. It is like a jam. I would never have guessed that. Even with me having helped with the canning when I was a boy.

[@lonerChise]

Bonus shotout to marshmallow fluff & peanut butter sandwich!! Because someone in Mass looked at the sugary deliciousness and said "how can i make this even more sugary...."

[@joshuacoomer4955]

me eating a honey peanut butter and jelly sandwich led me here lol i just thought man i wanna see how people back in the day enjoyed this sweet yet simple food nowadays and or lunch. thank you for the video Lol Glad to know i am eating so rich lol celery and peanut butter is my fav snack haha awesome

[@yugimuto9763]

In American packaging jam and preserves are different, preserves contain seeds. I don't know if that's only a naming scheme for certain companies or if that is how it's defined by our food and drug agency but yeah.. food for thought if you will

[@RonJohn63]

You can't make jam out of figs. My great-grandmother made _great_ preserves, though, from the fig trees in her back yard...)

[@cartoonmark75]

This guy can talk about anything and make it sound interesting

[@ourfamily3570]

Who else has watched this after watching Lawrence Brown of Lost in the Pond make and eat peanut butter and jelly version 1 and 2?😆😆😆

[@QueenBee-gx4rp]

Our Family Me!

[@elizabetha3936]

Fav so far. this is my "jam"

[@AnimalFacts]

Very interesting.

[@phantomphan006]

Nice video!

[@445cat]

You guys should do a video on why currants aren't popular in the US. I love currants but they are so much harder to find.

[@djp1234]

No history is short with Simon

[@765respect]

Have you tried pb&j on saltines? I also like jelly/jam/compote/marmalade on saltines. All the above with milk or cuppa.

[@ThecrackedBrick93]

Cool didn’t know that and I love them

[@aceaye07]

Nothing beats a good ol pb and j sandwich with a pepsi

[@velmavelvet2263]

Seedless raspberry jam. Yum.

[@mrfloppy1952]

I'm drunk and a peanut butter jelly time sammich is like adding cocaine to my drunken stupor. It's marvelous!

[@robcreel4257]

Sounds good right now.

[@banderfargoyl]

Do peanut butter and chocolate!

[@jenbarrett8966]

well done.

[@MrOmin13]

I mix peanut butter and jelly in a tiny bowl prior to spreading it on the bread.

[@---cx1ly]

i watched this while eating a pb&j sandwich and yes they are the perfect food when you are broke!!! Lol, you get the protein, and the sweet tooth fix, as i have nothing else in the house to eat thats sweet so i always go for a pb&j.

[@therizinosaurus214]

Smuckers holds the patent on crustless pbnj sandwiches... yes there is a patent on crustless pbnj sandwich... there is also one for siting in a standard swing and then going forward and back (your fordward and back, not the swing's)

[@DeceasedONE]

I eat peanut butter and jelly/jam EVERY DAY. Every day now for as long as I can remember..

[@osirisandilio]

Like Smuckers Traverse City Cherry preserves and Jif Extra Crunchy, your videos are awesome.

[@lesliemoiseauthor]

I did not know Peanut butter existed before Washington Carver. I always learn something new when I come here.

[@Look_look_at_my_cats]

I grew up making peanut butter & butter sandwiches. With Country Crock, just to make some people even more grossed out. I put such a thick layer of butter on it was almost as thick as the pb layer. It was only as an adult that I really came over to the pb&j camp.

[@inkshop963]

I also butter both pieces of bread on a PB and J sandwich. I often leave out the jam. Now... is chutney just spiced jam?

[@erichollar5503]

I like Simon. The hand motions make everything so much easier to understand. If he stood there perfectly still I'd have a really difficult time understanding what he was saying. And I'm not being facetious.

[@CalliopePony]

Could you make a video elaborating on the history of peanut butter?

[@evalynnlindquist8111]

Lol in Minnesota jam is when there are large chunks and jelly is when there are no chunks at all

[@jamesl1332]

But Simon! What is marmalade!?!?

[@PerplexiaX]

OOH... I second that thought as well!!! :-)

[@jasonblalock4429]

A marmalade is a jam that's specifically made from citrus fruits, and includes the peel in the mix.

[@Patralis]

Marmalade is made from oranges and contains rind. I love oranges... but I hate marmalade.

[@winkleperiwinkle808]

if i remember correctly from middle school english class (i'm not a native speaker and here in common speech we use the same word from jam, marmalade and jelly - which, before this video, i thought was just another name for flavoured gelatine, thanks for clearing that up, Simon) marmalade is made only with citrus fruits, while jam is made with all the other kinds of fruit.

[@dlee645]

Creole Lady Marmalade. I couldn't help but think of the song.

[@haruruben]

that's how my grandmother made me PB&J! 3 slices of bread like so: bread-PB-bread-J-bread, then slice into multiple fingers and share amongst siblings. ITS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE PBJ

[@johnlabus7359]

Damnit. Now I'm hungry....just as I am ready to go to sleep.