Homemade Candy

This house has had peanut brittle in it more weeks, during the winter, than it hasn’t.  This year is different.  John is the peanut brittle maker  and has been making it for years – I’ve never made it. I didn’t even go in the kitchen when he was doing this chore.  All during the Christmas Holidays I would mention the candy and during this bad weather we just recently had I thought he would get some made.  Dementia is an ugly word and we have it here, I’m sorry to say.  He’ll mention the candy and one day he searched the freezer for the peanuts when they were laying on the counter.  He used to buy two or three pound boxes of raw, shelled, peanuts at Southern States Farm Supply, but they’ve gone out of business and now he no longer gets them in boxes, but bags.  I’ve quite mentioning making candy to him — I don’t believe he could do it anymore.  This is a sad thing to see happening, but nevertheless it’s the hand we’ve been dealt.

I wanted to make pictures of him working in the kitchen, but. . . . .

Peanut Brittle

2 cups raw peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp soda

Combine first five ingredients and cook over medium heat until peanuts begin to pop.  Remove from heat and add soda — stir.  Pour onto cookie sheet to cool.  When cool break it into pieces and store in air tight container.

This next recipe is so southern it should have come from a southern cook, but my sister-in-law got it from a lady in Helena, Montana.  It’s wonderful, but is a little time consuming.

Pecan Brittle

2 sticks margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup white Karo
1/2 cup water
1 tsp soda
3 cups chopped pecans

Mix first four ingredients together and boil – no stir – until thermometer reads 280 degrees.  Add pecans, cook ’til reading is 305.  Remove from heat stir in soda.  Pour onto greased cookie sheet to cold.  Break into pieces and store in air tight container — it won’t last long anyway!