How to Make Basic Peanut Brittle – a Chemistry Class Recollection

One of my favorite after school activities in college was when our chemistry professor decided to have a little fun one day and show us how to make peanut brittle (in the most basic sense) in our chemistry lab! I can’t remember whether or not we had peanuts with us that day, but you can make the candied brittle part of peanut brittle with basic chemistry equipment. This can easily be adapted in the kitchen with more detailed recipes, but I will show you the most simple way to make it- in a lab setting!

Now if you are actually doing this IN a chemistry lab- a note of caution. **Be careful of prepping and actually eating anything edible off of chemistry equipment!** You wouldn’t want to accidentally ingest toxic chemicals! (although all equipment should be properly cleaned and stored anyways) Use with caution.

That being said, all you would need is a hot plate, beaker or pan of some sort that you can place on the hot plate, and something to stir with such as a metal spatula!

The only ingredient you’ll need? Sugar (sucrose)! Any basic chemistry lab should have this ingredient! Try dumping in a half cup and warming it on low-medium heat so not to burn it. Stir the sugar constantly. In a kitchen you would use butter in a pan as to not burn the sugar, but in the chem lab just keep stirring!! The heat will eventually cause a reaction with the sugar melting it into a brown gooey substance. Once the sugar has satisfactorily changed into your brown gooey stuff pour it out into a pan, on wax paper, or whatever might be suitable to eat off of. Let it cool, break off the chunks and eat! Congratulations- you have made the most basic part of peanut brittle!

Want to make it in your kitchen at home? Just google “peanut brittle” for all sorts of recipes!!