PEANUT BUTTER GETS TROPICAL

JIF Announces Winner of National Contest "JIF's Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest for Kids"

ORRVILLE, OH, February 12, 2003 — It's no surprise that Stephanie Wieseler, a twelve-year-old resident of Burnsville, Minnesota who loves to cook, is the winner of JIF's first ever "Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest for Kids." Her extraordinary "Tropical Fantasy" entry combines toasted cinnamon bread with JIF peanut butter, banana slices, mandarin orange slices and pineapple chunks. Stephanie adds a touch of personal gourmet flair by grating fresh ginger over the fruit, and decorating the top of her sandwich with pomegranate seeds.

"When the makers of JIF sponsored their first ever 'Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest for Kids,' we had no idea that so many budding chefs would heed the call to create a sandwich starring their favorite foods," said Brenda Dempsey, director of communications, The J. M. Smucker Company. "The nation's 6 to 12-year-olds rose to the challenge, and so did our judges - tasting all sorts of crazy combinations."

Stephanie Wieseler said that she came up with her sandwich recipe because she felt the sweetness of fruit tastes good with peanut butter. She thought the tropical fruits would work well together, and the ginger would make it more interesting. Stephanie's mother, Susan Wieseler, is pleased that her daughter enjoys cooking, and admits that she is less adventurous-more of a plain peanut-butter-and-jelly type herself. However, Susan says that she enjoys going to the grocery store with Stephanie to hunt for unusual ingredients!

"We kicked this JIF contest off in November in honor of National Peanut Butter Lovers Month," said Brenda Dempsey. "We wanted to challenge kids to test their culinary ingenuity. And the entries certainly included combinations that we never would have thought of! Stephanie's sandwich set the gold standard for ingenuity and delicious taste."

Four runner-up sandwiches included "Peanut Butter Pineapple Paradise," made with JIF, a chocolate chip bagel, pineapple slices and brown sugar; a "Pizza Sandwich," made on a toasted English muffin with JIF, strawberry jam, banana slices, chocolate syrup and coconut; "Jack's Phat Snack," made with banana bread, JIF, ice cream, chocolate candy and crushed wafer cookies, and a "Happy Face Sandwich," made with JIF, banana, pineapple, coconut, and chocolate syrup in a pita pocket.

Some of the more artistic entrants made faces, animals and even an American flag, using JIF, marshmallow fluff and fresh fruit. Some kids stipulated "soft white bread," while others favored whole wheat bread, bagels or tortillas.

Submissions included ingredients that ranged from pickles and peaches, to bologna and bacon bits. More unusual entries included a JIF, avocado, tomato and cheddar cheese concoction from a 9-year-old from Morro Bay, CA, and a JIF, pretzel, pickle, marshmallow, jellybean and raisin combination from a 10-year-old girl from Woburn, MA. And judges are still shaking their heads over a JIF, fried chicken, BBQ sauce, breadstick, plum jam, chow mein noodle and shredded cheese entry from an 11-year-old girl in Bloomington, MN (with a cast iron stomach!).

With Americans consuming a whopping 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year, the makers of JIF were pleased that entries came from all over the country. As Grand Prize Winner, Stephanie will receive a $1,000 savings bond, while the runners-up will each receive a $100 savings bond and a JIF gift basket.

Recipes were judged on taste, ease of preparation, appearance, creativity and appropriate use of JIF peanut butter (at least two tablespoons).

The J.M. Smucker Company:

The J.M. Smucker Company (www.smuckers.com) was founded in 1897 when the Company's namesake and founder sold his first product — apple butter — from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Today, over a century later, the Company is the market leader in fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, and health and natural foods beverages in North America under such icon brands as Smucker's® , Jif and Crisco®.

In June 2004, the Company expanded its family of products to include such brands as Pillsbury® baking mixes and ready-to-spread frostings; Hungry Jack® pancake mixes, syrups and potato side dishes, and Martha White® baking mixes and ingredients in the US, along with Robin Hood® flour and baking mixes, and Bick’s® pickles and condiments in Canada. For over 107 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, and has been family run for four generations.

The J. M. Smucker Company was recognized as the top company in FORTUNE Magazine's 2003 annual survey of The 100 Best Companies to Work For and has ranked consistently in the top 25 companies each year since FORTUNE began the list in 1998. The J. M. Smucker Company has over 4,500 employees worldwide and distributes products in more than 45 countries.

# # #

® Registered trademarks of The J.M. Smucker Company
Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, used under license

Back to Press Releases