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You don’t need a candy thermometer to make this peanut brittle. I’ll show you how to make it without one along with a special “pulling” technique.  It’s the only recipe that I use for making Homemade Peanut Brittle.

This recipe came from my Southern mother-in-law.  To make her peanut brittle, you need two cups of raw or parched peanuts.  (I used the entire contents of a 16-ounce bag of parched peanuts.  The more nuts the merrier, in my opinion.)

In a large saucepan, you combine the nuts with corn syrup and sugar and cook over medium-high heat until it turns honey-colored.It takes me about 15 minutes.

Stir the mixture often, but not constantly.

Once the right color has been achieved, you add baking soda.

The mixture will become a little foamy and lightens in color.

Spread the mixture onto a tray lined with parchment paper or one that has been well-greased. Or you can go all Alton Brown and use a Silpat liner (silicone baking mat).

Spread the mixture out a bit.

Special Trick:  Before it has completely cooled, take two forks and “pull” the brittle apart.  This technique set my mother-in-law’s brittle apart from all others that I have tried.  The pulled brittle is easier to eat than the thick brittle that is typically sold in stores.

You have to be careful because the brittle is really hot. Also, do not attempt to make peanut brittle when it is humid outside or while it is raining. It’s very similar to making divinity.  Humidity and peanut brittle are not friends.

The nice thing about this peanut brittle recipe is that you don’t have to have a candy thermometer to make it. Once you have made it a few times, you learn how to judge the process by the colors of the mixture.

Store cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container at room temperature.  Properly stored peanut brittle could last as long as two months, but I doubt that it will be around that long for you to find out.

Have you ever made homemade peanut brittle?