On April 2nd each year, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day celebrates a classic food favorite. The average American will have eaten over 2000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate from high school.

Peanut butter was considered a delicacy in the early 1900s and was only served in New York City’s finest tea rooms. In a May 1896 article published in the Good Housekeeping magazine, a recipe “urged homemakers to use a meat grinder to make peanut butter and spread the result on bread.”  That same year, in June, the culinary magazine Table Talk, published a “peanut butter sandwich recipe.”

It is thought that Julia Davis Chandler issued the first reference to peanut butter (or paste) paired with jelly on bread in the United States in 1901. Her article is found in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. In the late 1920s, the price of peanut butter declined, and the sandwich became very popular with children.

According to the Peanut Board, during World War II, both peanut butter and jelly were part of the United States soldiers’ military ration list.

In 1968, The J.M. Smucker Co. introduced Goober, a jarred product that combined alternating vertical stripes of peanut butter and jelly.

More to Explore…

• Peanut Butter Lovers Month
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• National Peanut Day
• National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
• National Peanut Month
• Chocolate Peanut Clusters
• National Peanut Brittle Day
• National Peanut Butter Day
• National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
• National Ants On A Log Day
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
• Peanut Butter Haystacks
• National Fluffernutter Day

HOW TO OBSERVE #PeanutButterAndJellyDay

It may be a good day to try something different.  The following are a few peanut butter and jelly ideas to help you out!

• Cupcakes
• French Toast
• Pie
• Sushi
• Cookies
• Donuts
• Pancakes
• Fudge

Have fun! Use #PeanutButterAndJellyDay to post on social media.