jelly...use a spoon or knife

United States
May 24, 2007 8:38pm CST
now this may be a silly discussion, but i just have to know... my hubby was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for our son. he went to the kitchen and pulled out one knife and one spoon. and my hubby spread some PB on the bread with the knife, and then got the jelly out of the jar with the spoon and put it on the bread that way. now i don't care that he does that, yes it's extra dishes, but it's ONE spoon extra, woopie, PLUS then the PB doesn't get into the jelly jar! it's fantastic. BUT i had never done that. growing up we hadn't done that. and my hubby ALWAYS does this! BUT THEN, i was at my parent's house recently, and again, my mom made my son a PB&J sandwich, AND USED THE KNIFE AND SPOON. i asked her when she started doing that, cuz i don't remember that from years past. she says she just does it every once in awhile...like just when she feels like it...weird, but oh well. SO, do you use a spoon to get the jelly out of the jar? it's easier, cuz the jelly slides off the knife!! i just want to know how many people do this!! keep in mind there is no wrong response to this! and thanks in advance for responding to this silly curiousity of mine!! ;-)
8 people like this
26 responses
@shelagh77 (3643)
25 May 07
i don't think this is silly at all, but the question is not whether I use a knife or spoon, but how many - I use three. One for the butter/spread, one for the peanut butter and one for the jelly. I absolutely detest bits of one tub getting into another and take as many steps as I can to be the only one who makes the sandwiches. Who wants marmite in with their jelly - exactly ewwww!
@shelagh77 (3643)
26 May 07
Well, I don't like to boast, but, yes, people do tend to enjoy the sandwiches I make :-) I do not have many days without guests dropping in without warning, so I have lots of different things here so that I can rustle up a meal very quickly. I just find a differenet knife for each thing saves bits of one thing ending up in the wrong jar lol.
• United States
27 May 07
you may have to give me some of your quick and easy recipes! sounds like you know how to entertain, on a moment's notice! but you're right about the stuff mixing in the jars, that can get nasty!!
• United States
26 May 07
well thank you for not thinking it's silly. i appreciate that! and wow-wee 3 utensils!! you make making a PB&J an artform!! bet your sandwiches are yummers!!
@4ftfingers (1310)
25 May 07
We call it jam, my mother uses a spoon for it, and her mother does and my dad's mum. When I saw it I just thought it's probably traditional to use a spoon.
2 people like this
• United States
26 May 07
we tend to follow what our parents do!!
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
25 May 07
That is funny. I have never heard or seen anyone use a seperate spoon to spoon jelly onto a pb & J sandwich. I use one knife for both.
2 people like this
• United States
26 May 07
the things you learn on here huh!! i love it!!
• United States
25 May 07
actually, I always used whatever was available... I mean, Ive used what it took to spread on my PB and Jelly. Then again I was always poor living with my mother. So you know, can't be too picky. I have to agree though, spoons are good with putting jelly on bread.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
LOL I know all about it... haha... how about forks.... or even a spork? lol
1 person likes this
• United States
27 May 07
heck ya! SPORKS!!! maybe the PB would stick less to those, rather a spoon!! NICE!!
• United States
26 May 07
hey, ya gotta use what you can when you can! if i run out of knives, and or spoons, i use one or the other...when i want a sandwich i want it...sometimes i've used a steak knife to use to spread, ALTHOUGH you have to be careful...it WILL tear the bread hahaha!! but hey, it was clean!!
1 person likes this
• United States
25 May 07
I have always used a spoon for the jelly. It does not tear up the bread and is easier to spread.
2 people like this
• United States
25 May 07
really? that's true, hate when i tear the bread! thank you for sharing!!
• Philippines
26 May 07
I always use spoon for jelly. It's kinda scary to use the knife.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 May 07
maybe it is!!
• United States
25 May 07
The only time I use a spoon for the jelly is when it is getting near the end of the jar. It's always such a pain to get that last little bit out using a knife. This is the first time I have heard of people using seperate utensils for each, but well I have never really been a picky person, so what if some of it gets mixed with the other, in the end it all ends up in the same place.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
i agree, it doesn't bother me THAT much when it's mixed. sometimes it does if it's a big mess mix, but if there's a little i don't usually mind. especially if I'M the one who mixed it accidentally...when others do though, i get upset a bit, don't know why!
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
25 May 07
I have always just used a knife for both. Usually I spread jelly on first wipe the knife on the other half of the bread so they jelly goes there and not in the peanut butter and then spread the peanut butter. I dont think I would like spreading with a spoon.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
i have tried spreading the jelly with a spoon, it works but the PB gets all gummed up...and i can't make myself use two utensils yet! i've tried...just makes more mess for me!
@kitkat1 (1227)
• Canada
25 May 07
With me it depends what i use on the type of jelly. If the jelly is really soupy then yes i havent got the time or the patiences to play around with it on a knife and it makes a mess. But if the jelly is nice and thick it is easy to work with so i use a knife for both.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
oh that's true, sometimes they are differnt consistencies!! good call!
@taiguy (478)
• United States
25 May 07
I guess i must be a special case because I use a fork to apply peanut butter and jelly. I wash the fork before switching jars. I find a fork does a good job of applying the material without tearing the bread.
• United States
26 May 07
really? a fork eh? haven't heard that one! thanks for sharing!! you're not a 'special case', you just do what works for you!! nothin wrong with that!
@OURDEW (4809)
• United States
26 May 07
I have always used a knife for both, and I do have a hard time with the jelly. I guess I never thought of useing a spoon and I think that is a great idea.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
like i said, see the things you can learn on here! i love it! everyone is so different, yet so willing to share ideas! YAY!
@tonixxx (358)
25 May 07
I only like a very thin layer of jam so i tend to use just a knife, but if could work i like the idea. It seems like it could solve the waste problem as it is a certainty that the jam will fall off the knife before reaching my bread, at least once. Thanks for the heads up.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
i know! fun stuff we learn on here eh?!!
• United States
25 May 07
I do the knife and spoon method as well. My mother uses two knives but I think it's easier to scoop out the jelly and put it on the bread without dribbling any on the counter or floor by using a spoon instead. No jelly in the peanut butter jar and no peanute butter in the jelly jar, the way it should be ;D
• United States
26 May 07
well you said it carbyville! thanks for responding! i love hearing how everyone handles this situation!!
• United States
26 May 07
LOL...I thought I was the only one that did that....LOL Eddie
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
guess not eddie!! LOL!!
• United States
25 May 07
On the rare occassion that we use jelly or jam, it's a squeeze bottle. My husband uses jelly sometimes times on his peanut butter sandwich for work, however I'm asleep when he makes it so I don't know how he takes it out of the jar. I'm very picky about my sweet on my sandwich. Though I do use a knife to spread it. I also don't eat peanut butter. I've never liked it. When I make sandwiches for my kids, they get just peanut butter, so I use just one knife.
• United States
26 May 07
i DO like the squeeze bottles. sometimes they are more expensive though. but that would aleviate that spoon vs knife! can just squeeze it and spread it however with whatever ya want!
@miamilady (4910)
• United States
25 May 07
I used to use one knife for both, whether it was PB&J or butter and jelly or cream cheese and jelly. I'd just spread the one. swipe the excess off on the bread then carefully dip into the other. I noticed that my older sister used two knives and I asked her why. She said because the stuff gets from one jar to the other and causes the other to spoil. Well since then, I did notice stuff in the jelly jar that shouldn't be there, so I started using one knife for each thing. I do use knives though not a spoon.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
that's what i do, i just swipe it off on the bread...BUT other's who use the PB or Jelly in this house DON'T and there ARE droppings in one or the other...not cool!
@castleghost (1304)
• United States
25 May 07
Well I have to tell you that I don't make peanutbutter and jelly sandwhiches at all. I can't stand the stuff. But anyway to get back to the discussion at hand. My finacee and her mom have a unique way of doing it. They mix the peanutbutter and jelly all together in one jar. Not only does it save on utensils but it makes it easier for the children to make their own sandwhich. They use a spoon instead of a knife and have taught the children to do this also.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
really, you can't stand them? it's a staple in our house!! now i admit, i make "mixed" PB&J sandwiches as well, but not in the same jar. but i do that for lunches, and this way the jelly doesn't soak the bread, and it's less messy for the little ones. learned that from my mom.
• United States
25 May 07
I actually use two knifes when making a PBJ. That way there is no cross-contamination. I have never thought to use a spoon. I do have to vent though, my honey uses the same knife for both jars. Ick!
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
i know a lot of people who will NOT cross contaminate!! thanks for responding, and go ahead and vent, that's what we're here for!!
• India
25 May 07
It is definitely a wiser choice to pull out jelly with a spoon and it reduce sthe risk of falling of.All it cal do is jiggle a little till you drop it on your bread.I feel it is also easier to spread jelly with a spoon.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
i think you have the right idea here!!
• United States
25 May 07
just a knife :p dont matter if the pb gets into the jelly, especially if your gonna make another pbj sometime down the road :p
1 person likes this
• United States
26 May 07
it's true! but a lot of people don't want one or the other touching!! to each their own right! i love these responses!!