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Can You Freeze Peanut Brittle? – Storage Tips

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Quick Answer

Yes, you can freeze peanut brittle to extend its shelf life for up to 3 months. To prevent moisture from ruining its texture, store it in an airtight container or plastic freezer bags. Allow it to cool to room temperature before freezing.

Read on for more detail

Peanut brittle is an absolute treat. A smooth, peanut-filled flat candy, peanut brittle is cooked on a stovetop and is poured directly into a sheet pan to cool down and harden.

Once cooled down, the peanut brittle is broken down into smaller pieces of candy that have quite a long shelf life when stored correctly. If kept at room temperature, peanut brittle can last for up to several weeks, but what do you do if you are wanting to keep it for longer?

Can you freeze peanut brittle? Yes, you can freeze peanut brittle, but you need to make sure that you do so properly to ensure that it keeps its crunchy texture. The enemy of peanut brittle is moisture. If peanut brittle is exposed to moisture, it will become soft and lose that wonderful crunch that is so important to the perfect peanut brittle.

Keep reading to learn more about storing peanut brittle and freezer-storage tips.

Freezing Peanut Brittle

You can successfully freeze peanut brittle, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

When freezing peanut brittle, you need to keep it stored in an airtight and moisture-resistant container, protecting it from freezer burn and from any additional moisture that might ruin its texture.

To freeze the peanut brittle, you will need to allow it to cool down after it comes out of the oven. Leave it to cool down to room temperature before placing it into a freezing container. Place the pieces of peanut brittle into the container and seal it tightly.

Place it into the freezer, where it can be stored for up to 3 months.

Storage Containers for Freezing Peanut Brittle

There are a few storage options to choose from when it comes to freezing peanut brittle, and choosing the right one ensures that the peanut brittle retains its great quality and texture.

Glass Jar

A glass jar is fine to freeze peanut brittle in, as long as you make sure it is safe to be placed in the freezer.

It might not be the most space-saving storage, but you can fit a small portion size of peanut brittle into the glass container, which can then be used to store the peanut brittle when it is taken out of the freezer.

Glass jars also work well if you are packaging peanut brittle as gifts, placing them straight into the glass jars you will be gifting the peanut brittle in. This allows you to make it ahead of time and store it in the freezer with no extra work needed later on.

Plastic Containers

Plastic containers are a great option for freezing peanut brittle, but you should only use freezer-safe plastic containers.

Choose a plastic container that seals airtight, to prevent any moisture or air entering the container while the peanut brittle is in the freezer. You can choose to use a big or small plastic container, depending on how much peanut brittle you are planning on freezing.

Plastic freezer containers can be used time and time again, so they are both cost-effective and eco-friendly compared to plastic freezer bags.

Plastic Freezer Bags

The biggest bonus with using a plastic freezer bag is that they can be laid flat in the freezer, to save some space, and multiple plastic freezer bags can be stacked on top of each other, saving even more space.

A good plastic freezer bag seals shut tightly and will protect the peanut brittle from freezer burn and from becoming soft and sticky while being frozen.

If you are really worried about your peanut brittle, you can even double bag it. Plastic freezer bags are often single-use, but there are some on the market that can be reused.

Refrigerating Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle has a long shelf life compared to other baked goods. You can keep peanut brittle at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 8 weeks. You can make it quite ahead of time for gifting, or keep a big batch at home to enjoy for several weeks.

Even though it is okay to freeze peanut brittle, it should not be placed in the fridge.

There is too much moisture in the fridge, and even if you use an airtight container, there is still too high of a risk that moisture will ruin the texture of the peanut brittle, and you will end up with soft, chewy candy that does not have the crunchy texture that everyone loves about peanut brittle.

Storage Tips

When storing peanut brittle, whether it is placed in the freezer or at room temperature in an airtight container, it is a good idea to separate the pieces of peanut brittle, especially if you live in a humid climate.

Often, the peanut brittle pieces end up sticking together, which could make it difficult to separate the pieces when the time comes to enjoy some.

To separate the pieces, you should use wax paper placed between the layers of peanut brittle. Leave a small gap between pieces in every layer to prevent them from sticking together further. There is also the option of wrapping pieces individually in plastic wrap to protect each and every piece.

You should use the wax paper separation layers when freezing the peanut brittle to make it easier to grab one layer of peanut brittle to remove from the freezer to defrost at a time, instead of having to defrost the whole batch and use it within the shelf life span.

To store the peanut brittle at room temperature, it should be kept in a dark, cool and dry location, to help the candy keep its delicious crunch. It should be kept away from the stove, sunlight and any other heat. If kept protected and stored this way, the peanut brittle should keep its best quality for up to 2 months.

Take Precautions

If you are braving making the peanut brittle at home on your own, you should remember that it reaches a very high temperature, and accidents can happen. The candy can spill onto your wrists or hands when pouring it into the sheet pan, and it can leave some horrible burns.

Wear gloves to protect your hands and wrist from burns, oven mitts and cooking gloves work well, as long as you do not mind them getting a bit sticky.

When pouring the candy into the sheet pan, tilt the pan away from you and use a spoon or spatula to scrape the hot mixture down into the sheet pan.

Do not touch or poke the peanut brittle as it is cooling, it retains heat quite a bit and could still burn you quite sometime after it has been left to sit and cool down. You would have had to have used a candy thermometer, or something similar, to ensure the peanut brittle is at the right temperature, to ensure it has a perfect crunch and is not chewy.

You can also use the candy thermometer to keep a check on the brittle while it is cooling down, to determine when it will be safe to handle.

Related Questions

Does peanut brittle go bad?

Peanut brittle does not necessarily go bad, but it does lose its crunch if left out for too long. Peanut brittle can be kept at room temperature for up to 8 weeks, and any leftover should be thrown away after this time period.

Peanut brittle can be left in the freezer for up to 2 months, and although the peanut brittle will be fine to eat after this, it will lose its quality and texture, changing how much you might enjoy the tasty treat.

What causes peanut brittle to be sticky?

Some people complain that their homemade peanut brittle is too sticky and often sticks to their teeth. The reason for this is because the peanut brittle was probably not cooked long enough.

When in the cooking stage, the peanut brittle has to reach a hard-crack stage, which means that the strands of sugar break down easily and feel dry, not sticky.

Incorrect storage of the peanut brittle can also cause it to turn sticky if it is exposed to moisture.

What causes peanut brittle to be hard?

Just like cooking time and temperature can cause peanut brittle to be too sticky, it can also cause the peanut brittle to be too hard.

If the peanut brittle is cooked for too long, it can cause it to set too hard. Once again, you might be able to soften the peanut brittle by opening it up to some moisture, it might make the peanut brittle a little softer, but it will still have quite a big crunch to it.

Freezing Peanut Brittle

There is no reason to leave peanut brittle to go to waste if you have too much at home. To extend the quality of peanut brittle, you are able to freeze it for a few months. Stored properly in an airtight freezer container, the peanut brittle will retain its great quality and can be enjoyed once the cravings hit.

Whether stored at room temperature or in the freezer, it is important to protect the peanut brittle from moisture, which can turn it soft and sticky.

Up Next: How To Reheat Boiled Peanuts

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