Peanut Brittle (2024)

FAQs

Is peanut brittle good or bad for you? ›

Outside of that single ingredient, peanut brittle is painfully unhealthy. It contains: sugar, corn syrup, and butter, all of which are unhealthy for your body in different ways. But, peanut brittle becomes terrible for your teeth once all of those ingredients are combined into the final product.

The perfect balance between salty and sweet, our peanut brittle recipe is made with just a few ingredients: peanuts, granulated sugar, butter, and salt. There's no corn syrup in our peanut brittle, giving it a true old-fashioned flavor and texture.

Brittles are typically composed mostly of sugar, while toffees contain a fair amount of butter and in some cases milk. This makes toffees fuller and richer in taste, while brittles are more purely sweet and sugary. Brittles are also much thinner than most toffees.

The general origin story of peanut brittle is that it came from the South, and that a Southern woman in the second half of the 19th century came up with peanut brittle by accidentally putting baking soda into her taffy instead of cream of tartar.

Peanut brittle is beloved by many, both young and old. There's something addicting in that salty-sweet crunch that keeps people coming back time and time again. But did you know that this popular treat may very well be an American invention? That's right.

Just one degree too cool will make your brittle not so brittle, which is true for any kind of nut brittle you make like almond or pumpkin seed brittle. If you are in a pinch and don't have a thermometer specifically for candy, you can use a digital thermometer, as long as it will measure temps as high as 300 degrees.

Antinutrients. Peanuts contain a number of antinutrients, which are substances that impair your absorption of nutrients and reduce nutritional value. Of the antinutrients in peanuts, phytic acid is particularly noteworthy. Phytic acid (phytate) is found in all edible seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes.

Most nuts appear to be generally healthy. But some may have more heart-healthy nutrients than others. For example, walnuts contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans also appear to be quite heart healthy.

Peanut brittle is a delicious treat that is perfect to make around the holidays. It's a sugary combination that's generously dotted with peanuts for some added crunch! There are many brittle recipes and many people make ones that are thin and almost tooth-breakingly hard.

Baking soda is also very important at this stage since it reacts to the heat, creating carbon dioxide that aerates the caramel, enabling it to snap when someone bites into it rather than requiring them to gnaw at it until it breaks or pulls apart.

Why is my peanut brittle so chewy? ›

Why did my peanut brittle turn out chewy? The likely cause is that the sugar mixture didn't reach the proper hard crack stage temperature. Ensuring it reaches 300˚F is key to getting that classic brittle texture.

Use a candy thermometer!

If you overcook the brittle, it could be bitter or burnt. If you undercook it, the brittle won't properly set and the end result will be sticky. A thermometer is an accessible and inexpensive way to monitor temperature and ensure properly cooked brittle.

We call this Healthy Peanut Brittle a treat food. It's a little bit naughty because it's sweet – it uses some 100% maple syrup, but it's also good because it includes good fats from coconut oil and protein from peanut butter.

Pralines have a lot in common with nut brittle, with the difference being mostly in the addition of cream and the cooking temperature––the sugary syrup used to coat pralines is heated to a soft-ball consistency, a lower temperature than the hard-crack stage of peanut brittle.

"Goober Peas” The lyrics of this Civil War Southern folk song describe daily life during the Civil War who enjoyed eating boiled peanuts (goober peas). But, “goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas,” as the chorus goes.

A Peanut By Any Other Name Would Be As Unappreciated

"The ground pea of the South, or as it is sometimes called, the gouber or pindar pea," said one patent application in 1848. "The earthnut, groundnut, goober, pindar or peanut" is how the Department of Agriculture phrased it.

Peanuts and co*ke: Good Ideas Live On

It is believed the idea started in the South in the early 20th century and the absurdly delicious sweet-and-salty sensation spread quickly across the South and down generational lines to contemporary Americans, who are keeping the tradition alive today.

In parts of the Middle East, brittle is made with pistachios, while many Asian countries use sesame seeds and peanuts. “Brittle,” a flat hardened sugar candy, is thought to be one of the first candies ever made. Peanut brittle made with corn syrups and nuts began appearing in cookbooks around the 19th century.

Georgia leads U.S. production of peanuts, outproducing all other States combined. In the United States, peanuts are grown mainly in the South, where the climate is warmer and growing seasons are longer than in northern zones.

Peanut brittle is a traditional candy made from roasted peanut, sugar and malt. To make the candy, fresh peanuts are chosen very careful to avoid rot seeds.

Why is my peanut brittle hard but sticky? ›

What's important to know is that the corn syrup controls the grain of the brittle so adding too little and you have a grainy textured brittle, while adding too much will result in a stringy and sticky brittle.

To store: Store peanut brittle (once it's completely cooled) in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks. To freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months.

When candy cools slowly on a stone slab, more crystals have a chance to form. With a higher number of micro-crystals, the sugar has more sites on which to crystallize, and so crystallization ultimately happens faster.

Peanut brittle contains 130 calories per 28 g serving. This serving contains 4.5 g of fat, 2 g of protein and 20 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 15 g sugar and 0 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Peanut brittle contains 1 g of saturated fat and 0 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Which types of peanuts are most healthful? Raw peanuts are the most healthful variety. Peanut butter is a great choice, offering a healthy nutritional profile and a range of health benefits. Learn about the health benefits of peanut butter.

Raw broken peanuts can be put in a container and needs refrigeration storage. It has a shelf life of around 5-6 days. l Peanuts, being a legume is rich in nutrients and provides immense health benefits.

Peanuts are full of nutrition and make for a healthy snack. They're full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which can aid weight management by keeping you full longer. For best results, choose raw, roasted, or boiled peanuts free of added salt and flavoring, and be mindful of your serving size.