Peanut brittle is a candy confection that has only been in American cookbooks since the 19th century but has since become a beloved treat all over the country. It is made out of caramelized corn syrup or sugar and nuts that form a hard, flat candy that is hard to bite but oh so delicious. It is also a candy that has its own holiday. This holiday is known as National Peanut Brittle Day and falls on January 26th. So, if you’re a big fan of this candy, you might want to enjoy some of it on this day.

The Supposed Origins Of Peanut Brittle

If there are two things that we’ve learned while researching this holiday, it is that the origins of both the holiday and the candy are just about lost to history. During the course of our research, we couldn’t determine who invented National Peanut Brittle Day or when it was invented. And we also had trouble pinning down the history of the candy. All that seems to exist are some origin stories that may or may not be true.

One such origin story for peanut brittle is that it was made by mistake in the southern part of the U.S by an old woman who was trying to make taffy. According to that story, she accidentally used baking soda instead of cream of tartar in her recipe. Thus, the humble peanut brittle was invented, or so the story goes. Although peanut brittle recipes did begin to appear around this time in cookbooks, there is no other evidence that this story actually happened.

Interesting Facts About Peanut Brittle

Okay, let us break down peanut brittle a little bit for you and provide you with some of the interesting facts we’ve learned about it. Facts we’ll gladly list below.

• Brittle first appeared in cookbooks around 1892.
• Brittle is sugar and water that’s heated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and formed into a hard-crack candy.
• Joke Peanut Brittle or Snake Nut cans that contained a fake snake that jumps out when opened were first invented in 1915 by Samuel Sorenson Adams.

Observing National Peanut Brittle Day

If you want to observe National Peanut Brittle Day, then buy or make yourself some peanut brittle and have a party. You can also use the hashtag #NationalPeanutBrittleDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday.