Repackaging peanut butter and jelly

Posted by: momo

Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 01/31/08 09:33 PM

Does anyone know of a way to repackage peanut butter and jelly into compressible bags? The jars take up a good amount of space and weight (especially the glass jelly jars). Any ideas?
Posted by: Earthling

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 01/31/08 10:29 PM

There is a reason those come in jars, you can use the refillable tubes sold at many camping stores with clothes pin type end closure though. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: Capoken

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 01/31/08 10:38 PM

Or you can grab some jelly packets next time you go to the diner.
Posted by: Trailrunner

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 01/31/08 11:08 PM

I ran into a vegan gal on the JMT once. She carried her organic peanut butter in a heavy plastic bag, cut one corner off and squeezed it through the resulting hole. Don't remember how she resealed it, if at all. But that worked for her.
Posted by: cfiles

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 05:35 AM

You can do single serve jelly packets as Capoken suggested. Then you can stop by Justin's Nut Butter and get some packets of PB.

The PB packaging is great for hiking and the product is amazing. If you have a Whole Foods near you it is likely that they will have this in stock.

Pack these and some pitas and you can have yourself PB&J anywhere you want.
Posted by: BarryP

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 08:19 AM

Great find cfiles. I can’t get a feel for how much is in a package even though it says “1.15oz”
So do you know how much of an area it will spread out to if it’s layered 5mm thick?

Thanx,
-Barry
Posted by: cfiles

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 09:10 AM

Quote:
Great find cfiles. I can’t get a feel for how much is in a package even though it says “1.15oz”
So do you know how much of an area it will spread out to if it’s layered 5mm thick?


I am not sure about 5mm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> If I remember correctly one packet will evenly coat about 4 saltine crackers. So it is about a sandwiches worth. It has been a while since I had any of this though, my memory is a bit foggy. Google says it is a little more than 2 tablespoons if the measure is in fluid ounces.

I found it at a Whole Foods in Boulder CO while on vacation and bookmarked their website. A friend of mine use to bring Skippy peanut butter in a tube but Skippy quite making them. He was very excited when I found these and ordered a few boxes just for backpacking.
Posted by: NiytOwl

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 09:26 AM

If you're stuck on the idea of PBJ in tubes:

Skippy Squeez'it is 9 oz. of creamy peanut butter in a toothpaste tube.

If 9 oz. is too much, you can get Squeeze Stix - individual portions of peanut butter in tubes (like GoGurt).

Then there's Squeezers - peanut butter in 1/2-oz condiment packets.

While I was looking up those three items I ran across P.B. Slices which are individually-wrapped peanut butter slices - just like Kraft cheese! Not sure how well they'll hold up on the trail, but for me it was one of those "I never knew..." moments.

For the jelly you'll just have to use something like Coghlan's Squeeze Tubes. I couldn't find any jelly products in tubes. If you end up buying them from REI, use the site portal so the board gets some support.

I get my PB and jelly in the restaurant-style individual portions. My friend's wife distributes free lunches to low-income kids. I make a donation and she gives me a lunch box full of PB & J with single-serving packs of crackers. I can get the same thing from a restaurant supply store, but the last time I did the jelly turned into rubber before I could finish the box of 200 (can't spread rubber on bread or crackers). This way I get a fresh batch every other month and 10 kids get lunches for a week.
Posted by: cfiles

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 09:48 AM

Quote:
If 9 oz. is too much, you can get Squeeze Stix - individual portions of peanut butter in tubes (like GoGurt).


This is the stuff my friend use to carry. We thought they quite making them. Awesome, thanks!
Posted by: Eric

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 09:49 AM

1 liter Platypus bottles work nicely as giant toothpaste tubes but there are tough to wash out, boiling water works best. I heat the PB a little and pour it in. It's messy to fill but they don't leak, unlike the plastic packets.
Posted by: BarryP

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 11:28 AM

Thanx cfiles. It is so hard to find peanut butter without the debilitating trans fat in it.
-Barry
Posted by: DownsD

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 12:45 PM

I buy my PB in plastic jars and leave it in the original container. If I want my PB mixed with jam/jelly/honey/something else, I do it at home, put it back into the original plastic jar and take that. If I want it separate, I put the jam/jelly/honey/whatever into an empty plastic PB bottle and take it that way.

I've used the tubes before but didn't care for them. I found them messy, hard to squeeze (especially in cold weather), a pain to fill, etc.

The plastic PB jars are reasonably light, very durable, reusable, easy to use and can be put to other uses when empty and cleaned out.
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 12:56 PM

NiytOwl, have you links to either of the Skippy products where you can actually *buy* the product?

I too fondly recall the 0.9 oz peanut butter squeeze tubes for backpacking, but these disappeared from store shelves a year or two ago. Groping via google just now, I found lots of references to the squeeze "stix" and 9 oz tubes, but none of these ultimately turned out to be offering either product for sale.
Posted by: sarbar

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 02:23 PM

The Justin's ones are about the best single serving packets on the market. Good stuff! The packets will more than make a sandwich for you <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: NiytOwl

Skippy Squeeze Stix - 02/01/08 04:34 PM

I used to get Squeeze Stix from Albertson's, but they stopped carrying it last year. Since then I've found it at stores like Grocery Outlet - discount stores that carry a lot of off-brands, close-outs, and overstocks. Looking at the Skippy web site, it's no longer in their product line-up, so it may be discontinued <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You might call Skippy and ask them directly. 1-866-475-4779 (4Skippy), Monday - Friday, 8:30a.m. - 6:00p.m. EST.
Posted by: trailblazer

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 04:38 PM

I used to use the small squeeze tubes, but have had a hard time findin them so I ended up trying to vacuum pack the peanut butter into little single servings. Actually works quite well, less messy than I would have expected when I vacuum packed it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Makes little tubes, and I can just cut off the end and dispense it.
Posted by: devkrev

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 05:03 PM

I always made my sandwiches ahead of time.

dev
Posted by: momo

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 06:05 PM

how long do the sandwiches hold up when u premake them?
Posted by: NiytOwl

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/01/08 09:48 PM

FWIW, Amazon.com has Skippy Squeeze It, but ya gotta buy a 12-pack.
Posted by: GrumpyGord

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/02/08 04:47 AM

Minimus has PB and PBJ packets.

http://www.minimus.biz/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=peanut%20butter
Posted by: phat

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/02/08 09:03 AM


When I make 'em on bagels - they're pretty good for quite a few days. If I make 'em on sliced bread they don't survive in my pack.
Posted by: cwmoore

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/02/08 11:32 AM


There is also MRE packs of PB and several jelly varieties. since there are various companies making them they vary a little in the ingredients. the PB like all MRE items is 'fortified' with vitamins. Some have sugar and hydrogenized oil, like Skippy, and I've seen one with just peanuts, oil and salt. the the PB's are 1.5oz pkts, usually sell for around 45cents, the Jelly and Jams are in 1 oz pkgs and usually sell for around 35 cents.
Posted by: Earthling

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/02/08 03:27 PM

Quote:
1 liter Platypus bottles work nicely as giant toothpaste tubes but there are tough to wash out, boiling water works best. I heat the PB a little and pour it in. It's messy to fill but they don't leak, unlike the plastic packets.


And now that MSR is making the .5oz Platys again, those are even smaller and easier to carry and squeeze IME. Fill 'em with a funnel <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Oh, and that's what I was talkin' about DownsD <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: Earthling

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/02/08 03:32 PM

Quote:

There is also MRE packs of PB and several jelly varieties. since there are various companies making them they vary a little in the ingredients. the PB like all MRE items is 'fortified' with vitamins. Some have sugar and hydrogenized oil, like Skippy, and I've seen one with just peanuts, oil and salt. the the PB's are 1.5oz pkts, usually sell for around 45cents, the Jelly and Jams are in 1 oz pkgs and usually sell for around 35 cents.


EMS and I suspect other major camping retailers sell them in 6 or 8 packs. Hit and miss on the taste/quality with some MRE things. My worst vice is the jalapeno cheese spread I got hooked on that stuff like it was morphine <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Man, Nity, you's got's the joneses for the PB eh <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: bearbait

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/04/08 03:13 PM

on my last hike I used one of those refillable tubes and it work out fine for me. I filled it with my favorit organic peanut butter and I used it every day <5 days>. when I go out again I'm going to mix it with raw organic honey and not worry about jelly. In the past I used the skippy squeeze tubes but they disapeared from the stores.
Got my tubes at Uncle Johnny's in Tenn. while hiking the AT. I have also seen them in the REI store and campmore sells them too.
Posted by: leadfoot

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/05/08 06:31 AM

I think Jif makes individual tubs of PB, and they hold at least enough for thickly smearing PB on two slices of bread.

I have pre-PB'd tortilla wraps and they hold up well for several days.

But generally, I just get a small nalgene screw top jar or a small light-weight plastic container with lid and fill it with PB and use jelly packs or honey packs to add.
Posted by: momo

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/05/08 10:06 PM

Good idea... Repackaging or buying in individual portions seems expensive and a hassle. Peanut butter and jelly tortilla wraps sound fantastic!
Posted by: Buster_Martin

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/06/08 07:50 PM

Quote:
Good idea... Repackaging or buying in individual portions seems expensive and a hassle. Peanut butter and jelly tortilla wraps sound fantastic!


Of course, this is just a personal preference, but I tried this last week because I had an abundance of tortilla wraps and wanted to get through them. For some reason the taste of them w/ the pb&j just didn't taste good at all to me. And I'm absolutely not a picky eater. Maybe that's just one thing that my taste buds don't like...or maybe others might agree with them. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: DownsD

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/07/08 03:27 PM

For me it depends on the type of tortilla. I do not care for PB on corn tortillas but love it on flour tortillas. I don't make them in advance though, I just take the tortillas plain, PB in a separate jar and slather it on when I want to eat.
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: Repackaging peanut butter and jelly - 02/08/08 04:53 AM

A sort of standard lunch staple for my wife and I are tortillas with PB and instead of jelly we just stick some sort of dried fruit in there and roll it up. It works fine for a week or so trip, and different dried fruits can add a bit of variety. And tortillas are a good choice if you're carrying a bear can, they pack in there pretty space-efficiently.

However, after a few days of this every day I get sick of it. What I plan to do in future is carry some Fantastic Foods Refried Bean powder and mix up the bean paste right in the tortilla (cold). Per recommendation from Yo Yo of PCT fame, this works well, at least for me. Also per his recommendation a few crushed corn chips adds something to the mix, and of course, some olive oil. Soon you go from a moderate calorie lunch item to a relatively high calorie meal !

Anyway, if you are carrying tortillas on longer trips, I think it's good to have multiple things you can fill 'em with unless you're the type of person that really can happily eat the same bloody thing day after day ...