From Our Family to Yours…Grandad’s Crunchy-Chewy Peanut Brittle!

Patricia Brown, Lucy Pawlowski (Good friend), Richard Brown (Grandad), Lee Brown (Husband)

When I met my husband 27 years ago, I knew he was a good looking man, but it wasn’t until I met his family that I knew one thing for sure…he was a keeper.

I was invited to his family’s home which was located on a hundred acres of Florida citrus groves. We drove up a long, dirt driveway which opened up to a plantation. In the middle of it was a hundred-year-old “Old Florida” style home with a wrap around porch. Being a girl who grew up in Miami, this looked like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting to me.

My husband’s mother had grown up in this same home, followed by my husband and his siblings. IT WAS GENERATIONAL! It seemed like I had stepped onto the set of “The Waltons” and I could almost hear John-Boy saying, “Goodnight, Mary Ellen.”

I could tell there were a lot of people there that day and I thought, “They didn’t have to do all of this just for me!” They didn’t… I quickly learned that the Browns loved having family and friends and anyone else who wanted to join, over for cookouts. The Browns are known for their amazing food and southern hospitality and one of my favorite goodies that Mr. Brown prepares, is his yummy peanut brittle!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shelled peanuts (blanched peanuts)

1-1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

2/3 cup white Karo syrup

1 tbsp baking soda

Granddad Brown says you need a heavy, thick bottom pan with a handle. He says you can rent his for $100.00.

Turn the burner on high, place the pot on burner and add sugar immediately.

Place 1/3 cup of water in measuring cup and add 2/3 cup Karo syrup and mix together until the water goes from cloudy to clear. Add to sugar and stir.

Bring the mixture to a full boil. Make sure the bubbles are going all the way out to the edge of pot.

Stir pot with a wooden spoon until mixture becomes clear. (It clears as it heats up.)

Stir peanuts into pan.

Keep stirring until peanuts turn brown in color. Stir constantly.

Water will begin to evaporate and the peanuts will turn brown like a roasted peanut color. (Takes about 8-9 minutes.) Grandad Brown uses a light over the pot to see the color of the peanuts. When the peanuts turn brown add a tablespoon of baking soda.

As soon as the peanuts are brown, pour out onto foil, on a flat surface and let cool for 30 minutes or until completely cool. If you put your hand over the middle, you should not feel any heat. CAUTION…DO NOT TOUCH! MIXTURE IS VERY HOT AND IF IT GETS ON YOU, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT OFF BEFORE IT BURNS YOU REALLY BAD.

Grandma Brown

Once it is cool, take it off the foil and break it apart with your hands.

Place in zip bags with the air squeezed out.

Note: For best results, prepare in low humidity.

ENJOY!!!