Peanut Brittle Day

Homemade peanut brittle. Janet Hudson / flickr / 2010 / CC BY 2.0

The 26th of January is Peanut Brittle Day.

It comes hard on the heels of Peanut Butter Day, which was just two days ago, so this is a real peanut lover’s week.

Peanut brittle is salty, sweet and crunchy. It’s fun to break up, and easy to share.

Being based on popular North American ingredients such as corn syrup and peanuts, it’s for sure a home-grown American candy, and, you get to tell yourself it’s half-healthy because of the nuts in it.

Why not make some on this day? It’s an easy, no bake dessert that doesn’t require exotic ingredients. Chances are you will even already have the ingredients to hand.

If your schedule on this day doesn’t allow time to make any, some candy places will offer specials, such as buy one large or regular size box, and get a bonus smaller gift-size box to gift to someone (or enjoy yourself when the bigger box is gone!) Wonderful artisanal takes are available now, such as Apple Cider Peanut Brittle with Maple and Bacon.

For those with nut allergies, alternatives made with soy nuts, etc., are available. And how much longer is it before the alternative-protein people start to market brittle made with crunchy roasted bugs in it?

If those alternatives don’t appeal to you, you can also get peanut brittle scented candles now so at least you can enjoy the aromas in your house!

#PeanutBrittleDay #NationalPeanutBrittleDay

Activities for today

Find a local artisanal confectioner who makes peanut brittle and support them by buying some;
if your family had a favourite recipe, today’s a good day to haul it out and try it again;
bring some homemade peanut brittle into work to share (just be conscious of any nut allergies);
try a different flavour, such as pumpkin peanut brittle;
try some peanut brittle ice cream.

History

The first print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a “Peanut Brittle Day” in January dates from 1984 in California:

“Thursday, Jan. 26.: NATIONAL PEANUT BRITTLE DAY — You can whip up this candy in no time in the microwave. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup molasses and ½ cup dark corn syrup in 3-quart casserole. Cook until sugar dissolves (4-5 minutes.) Add 1½ cups peanuts, bring to boil, cook to 280 degrees F (6-7 minutes.) Stir in ⅛th teaspoon baking soda. Pour onto buttered baking sheet to cool and harden. Remove candy, break into irregular pieces. Makes ¾ pound.” — Fresno, California: The Fresno Bee. Thursday, 26 January 1984. Page C1, col. 1.

Sources

Hensley, Nicole. Prepare for National Peanut Brittle Day. Spokane, Washington: KXLY-TV. 25 January 2012. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.kxly.com/prepare-for-national-peanut-brittle-day/

Irwin, Shelley. National Peanut Brittle Day. Grand Rapids, Michigan: WGVU PBS. 26 January 2021. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.wgvunews.org/the-wgvu-morning-show/2021-01-26/national-peanut-brittle-day

Lehner, Dave. National Peanut Brittle Day. Minot, North Dakota: KCJB Radio. 26 January 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://kcjb910.iheart.com/content/2018-01-26-jan-26-geezers-blog-national-peanut-brittle-day/

Manouse, Ernie. To help celebrate National Peanut Brittle Day, why not try this Houston family’s recipe? Houston, Texas: Houston Public Media PBS. 25 January 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/mockingbird-armadillo/2019/01/25/319356/watch-brittle-peanut-brittle-this-is-houston/

National Peanut Brittle Day. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Today. 25 January 2021. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.sasktoday.ca/south/local-news/national-peanut-brittle-day-4162018

Wood, Wild Bill. World’s Biggest Peanut on Wheels: the only way to travel on National Peanut Brittle Day. New Orleans, LA: WGNO-TV. 26 January 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://wgno.com/news-with-a-twist/worlds-biggest-peanut-on-wheels-the-way-to-travel-on-national-peanut-brittle-day/