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Lunch at Work: How Do You Keep Your Sandwiches from Getting Soggy?

2009_06_15-sandwich.jpgThe other day we took this sandwich to work, only to bite into a very soggy piece of bread come lunchtime. We made a few crucial mistakes—ones we remedied the next day. Here are our tips...

 
 

We don't make sandwiches for lunch that often, so when we put mayonnaise on one slice of bread, topped it with juicy tomatoes and the rest of the vegetables, then smushed our sandwich into a container and let it sit for four hours, we weren't really thinking of the consequences.

Since then, we've been experimenting with a few different techniques:

• Put a single layer of deli meat on each slice of bread and spread the condiments on those. The meat creates a barrier between the bread and the rest of the ingredients. You can stuff more slices of meat in the middle if you want.

• Just pack the separates and make the sandwich at work. We've done this, too, with success. Bread goes in one bag or container, meat and vegetables in another. A little dollop of mustard and mayonnaise go on the edge of one container (or maybe you have packets of those in your office snack room).

• Set tomatoes, pickles, or other drippy ingredients on paper towels while you make the rest of the sandwich. It helps cut down on some of the excess moisture that might otherwise get absorbed by the bread.

• Use cheese as a barrier. Same idea as with the deli meat—and works for vegetarian sandwiches.

Not really rocket science, but sometimes the simplest ideas work best. What do you do to keep sandwiches crispy and fresh for lunch? Any packaging tips that make a difference? Tell us in the comments.

Related: The Spanglish Sandwich with Avocado

(Image: Flickr member tlillis4, licensed for use under Creative Commons)

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Tips & Techniques, sandwich, lunch, eating at work

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Comments (27)

i use lettuce as the barrier, works for me but i will give the others a try

posted by missmay on June 15th 2009 at 9:06am
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Moxie! So awesome.

posted by Michelle of Montreal on June 15th 2009 at 9:10am
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I use dense, whole grain bread. Sometimes, it makes for a drier-than-optimal sandwich, but I've never had problems with sogginess.

Something else to try is to build your sandwich normally, but without the tomatoes or pickles. Store those in a separate container, then add them when you're ready to eat.

Third, try wrapping in waxed paper, instead of plastic. That will keep the bread fresh, but will allow the sandwich to breathe a bit. I use waxed paper sandwich bags, but plain old waxed paper works fine.

posted by ShellyIN on June 15th 2009 at 9:13am
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I've been having trouble since switching to all-natural peanut butter. I pack my sandwiches and get to work and a good amount of the PB has leaked out of the sandwich!

In an effort to reduce waste, I've stopped using plastic wrap on my sandwiches and just put them in a small square plastic container, so at least the peanut butter is contained.

posted by Marie on June 15th 2009 at 9:41am
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I almost always pack the components separately and assemble at work. I really dislike cold bread so this is a bigger motivator for me than a potentially soggy sandwich. I usually spread my condiments on two slices of meat and sandwich those together in the container.

posted by minji on June 15th 2009 at 9:44am
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I also use the lettuce as a barrier. Wraps apparently get less soggy than bread sandwiches.

posted by Emily G. on June 15th 2009 at 9:51am
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Marie, try keeping the PB in the fridge, or putting the sandwich in the fridge after you make it. The PB will go solid-ish at cold temps and it helps stop it from oozing. I've had reasonably good luck with this method.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on June 15th 2009 at 9:57am
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Unfortunately this suggestion raises the fat content of the meal, but a thin layer of butter seals the bread nicely. You could get the same effect with a nice runny cheese.

I also use wax paper bags instead of plastic. They keep things fresh but not quite so hermetically sealed as a plastic bag or tupperware so the excess moisture doesn't get as trapped.

posted by Niamh on June 15th 2009 at 10:28am
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I know I'm probably one of the few that does, but I love sandwiches that have been sitting half a day.

However, I was going to suggest the fatty suggestion of a little bit of butter too. Niamh beat me to the punch though. The thin layer makes for a nice block from tomatoes and dressings juiciness.

posted by stefanielutz on June 15th 2009 at 10:40am
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The "keeping things separate" method has always been a favorite in this household, enough so that we have different reusable sandwich containers designed specifically for it. I personally have never had much of an issue with sandwich mushiness, but then, my sandwich of choice has always been peanut butter ;)

I do have to ask: where on Earth did you find Diet Moxie? I've been looking for that for ages!

posted by SexyAnteater on June 15th 2009 at 10:46am
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Toast the bread, let it cool, then make your sandwhich. Not perfect, but helps reduce the sogginess.

posted by kz on June 15th 2009 at 10:50am
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I always pack the soggy ingredients for assembly at lunch time -- just make the sandwich with the meat or cheese, etc.

posted by mschatelaine on June 15th 2009 at 11:00am
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I've also read that tomatoes and bread, when they mingle for a few hours like this, actually produce a kind of mold which is why the bread breaks down so quickly. It's best to bring your tomato slices separately, then add them to the sandwich once you're ready to eat.

posted by Amanda Nicole on June 15th 2009 at 11:34am
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What is Moxie?

posted by brittanykate on June 15th 2009 at 11:57am
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I usually keep my 'wet' ingredients (tomatoes, pickles, etc.) separate and add those just prior to consumption. I've never had a problem that way.

posted by rosebud on June 15th 2009 at 12:11pm
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I bring all of the ingredients for a week's worth of lunches on Monday, in seperate glass Pyrex containers. It makes for a heavy load on Monday (and an only just slightly lighter load when I bring the empty containers home on Friday), but I have everything I need at work and I don't have to get it all together every night.

You need a work fridge with plenty of space (and no lunch-poaching colleagues!), and if colleagues are prone to tossing anything they can't recognize, you'll want to label the containers with your name and a "good until" date.

posted by heather77 on June 15th 2009 at 2:35pm
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I use a previous version of these (http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=20804964&itemIndex=7&CATID=74067&PRODID=10025083), which allows me to keep bread/cheese together, and everything else in separate sections of the container so nothing gets soggy. I can't eat wet bread (makes me gag), so this is the best way I've found. For condiments, I either use a small container or get packets.

posted by seidhr on June 15th 2009 at 3:14pm
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SERIOUSLY, drop the royal "we" when it's clear that you're posting as you. An "I" wouldn't kill you.

In this post particularly, the overbearing use of "we" sounds stilted and outright constipated. When appropriate, use "I". No one believes that you made a single sandwich for two of you. You're YOU, not a "we". The overbearing use of "we" on all of these Home Network blogs is incredibly off-putting. Is it so terrible to believe that a single human is typing the words and might occasionally refer to himself, or herself as "I"?

God, the stupid use of "we" makes me groan in this entry.

posted by diertac on June 15th 2009 at 6:37pm
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diertac needs to get a colonic... take a breath

posted by zeven13 on June 15th 2009 at 10:05pm
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Yup, I use cheese, meat or lettuce as a barrier. As long as the slices of bread aren't touching anything wet, then it's fine.

I don't know why this isn't common knowledge?!

posted by buda on June 15th 2009 at 10:16pm
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Another vote for the butter option!

I grew up in England and learned to always spread a bit of butter on my sandwich slices...it's like a little rainjacket protecting the bread from the moisture and wetness of the other ingredients. My family always made sandwiches this way and if my taste buds remember correctly so do many Brits. It works really well.

posted by Slow Lorus on June 16th 2009 at 1:11pm
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I pack a dry sandwich (tomato is hidden between two lettuce leaves), take it to work, and in the office fridge I have squeeze containers holding condiments (mayo, two mustards, chipotle salsa, regular hot sauce) and have a salt & pepper grinder at my desk. A sandwich always tastes 10x better when there's a little s&p on the tomato!

posted by Rucy on June 16th 2009 at 4:28pm
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zeven13 needs to get a clue. Take English lessons.

posted by diertac on June 16th 2009 at 8:57pm
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First I toast the bread, that makes it last longer. Then I use little mayo so it doesn't moistens the bread and my trick is using large ham slices and I wrap all vegetables, including lettuce in the ham. I neves put lettuce next to the bread or chesse.
I hate to put vegetables separetely because lunch looses its charm :)

posted by LillyY on June 17th 2009 at 12:03am
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For those wondering what Moxie is - it's a horrible tasting cola, I mean "acquired taste", originating from Lisbon Falls, Maine. I don't think it's very easy to find out of New England - for good reason, IMO.

posted by home body on June 18th 2009 at 7:33am
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I'm originally from outside of Lisbon Falls, ME (the birthplace of Moxie) and even I'll agree that it's wretched. I have friends across the country who request shipments of it whenever I visit home. It's an obsession for some.

posted by DoubleDactyl on June 18th 2009 at 3:36pm
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Ummm... Moxie is awesome, yummy stuff! I'm originally from Maine and miss it terribly-- can't find it in the mid west at all!

I even have a t-shirt.

posted by geekgirl on June 19th 2009 at 9:38am
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