Peanut brittle is made by heating sugar and water, adding peanuts and other ingredients, and cooling it on a flat surface. Corn syrup is added to prevent sugar crystals from forming. The mixture is poured onto a flat surface, cooled, and broken into smaller pieces. It can stay fresh for several weeks if stored properly.
Peanut brittle is a type of candy made by placing peanuts, spices, and sometimes other ingredients in a heated sugar-water mixture and then allowing the mixture to cool on a flat surface. Once the brittle has cooled, the hard sugar sheet and peanuts are broken into small pieces so it can be more easily stored and eaten. Some peanut strawberry recipes include other ingredients, such as vanilla, peanut butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, or occasionally other nuts. Although only a few basic ingredients are needed to make the peanut brittle, the process of heating the sugar and water together requires some attention and usually a candy thermometer for precise measurements to ensure it turns into a hard candy when is cooled.
The texture of peanut brittle comes from water and sugar that is heated to a temperature known as the hard crack phase, after which it will cool to a hard, almost glass-like form. In many cases, corn syrup is added to the sugar-water mixture to prevent sugar crystals from forming and ruining the final texture of the brittle. After the mixture has reached a sufficiently high temperature, it is removed from the heat.
Peanuts and vanilla are added to the brittles at this stage. If peanut butter is incorporated into the hot mixture, it will melt and cause the brittles to take on an opaque peanut-like color as opposed to the translucent golden color that white sugar would have. The baking soda, butter, and any other remaining ingredients are then mixed into the mixture, and the hot peanut is poured onto a flat surface so it can cool and harden.
Once on the flat surface, the baking soda that has been added will cause the brittles to begin to rise slightly, creating small gas bubbles inside so that the hard candies aren’t too hard to eat or break. Some recipes call for the brittle to be kneaded or stretched as it cools to help develop the texture and distribute the peanuts, though usually this isn’t necessary. After the peanut brittle has completely cooled, it is ready to be cracked.
The brittle peanut sheet you get is usually broken into smaller pieces so it can be more conveniently eaten, packaged, and stored. This can be done by breaking the pieces off one by one or by using a hammer or other utensil to break up the sheet. Depending on several factors, peanut brittle that is stored in an airtight container or refrigerator can stay fresh for several weeks, although high levels of humidity or heat will eventually cause a stale flavor and off texture.
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