The Paper Towel Hack That Prevents Soggy Sandwiches

Believe it or not, there are methods to creating the perfect sandwich. While there might not be a rule book here, if you want a near-perfect sandwich, it's all about how you stack the toppings and how you prep each of those toppings. Tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, for example, often come with a lot of moisture, and adding them to a sandwich can quickly make for a soggy experience. 

If you're looking for a solution, it's already waiting for you in your kitchen: paper towels (which can also keep refrigerated veggies fresh). Just press your watery veggies in between some paper towels before adding them to the sandwich. This will remove some (but not all) of the moisture, keeping that bread in good shape. Of course, that's not the only way to avoid your bread turning to mush. The quality of the bread, plus the condiments you use, both make a difference in helping prevent any moisture from seeping into unwanted places.

A thick slice of tomato is the perfect add-on to almost any sandwich, but it also comes with plenty of moisture. The easiest way to prevent this is to gently press the tomato slice (or any other fruit or veggie slice, for that matter) between two paper towels before adding it to the sandwich. Don't press too hard, or you'll soak up all of the moisture, and this moisture does help prevent a too-dry sandwich, so you don't want to remove it all. Plus, pressing too hard could also release paper towel fibers onto the slices — a sandwich topping you probably don't want.

Once you've removed some moisture, you'll want to take further steps to prevent the bread from getting soggy. There are two easy solutions: Use a condiment spread that can act as a barrier between the bread and the vegetables, and make sure to put other toppings in between the bread and the veggies as well. Lettuce, when dried, is a great barrier, as well as a thick slice of cheese.

Another key to a perfect sandwich is the bread. Use good-quality, thick bread; one with a crispy crust, such as French bread, is a great option as the moisture is unlikely to break through the hard crust the way it could through a piece of white bread.

Ben Gollan, who hosts New York City sandwich tours, told Eater that he uses a tried-and-true method he learned from his mother, which goes against all dry bread beliefs: Place the tomatoes at the very top of the sandwich, just below the top piece of bread. You can still create a condiment barrier between the tomatoes and the spread, but gravity will send the tomatoes' moisture down toward the rest of the sandwich fillings. Since the tomatoes are so far away from that bottom piece of bread, though, you can be confident that it will stay dry. His other solution? Pack the tomatoes separately in your lunch bag and add them just before you eat the sandwich.