Once I arrived at Nana’s Wednesday morning, Nana and I planned our baking adventure, deciding what to make and in what order. Aside from pound cake, salted pecans, lady fingers (some without nuts just for my mother), and sometimes seasoned oyster crackers, we make batches and batches of sugar-coated peanuts. Not a year goes by that we don’t make at least two large tins full of them. Our sugar-coated peanuts recipe is one that was introduced to us by my great-grandmother and has been in our family for many decades.
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She lived a great, long life, and in my 22 years of living I was able to learn many things from her. I learned what it takes and means to be a loving, caring, and loyal mother, wife, and friend; and aside from sugar-coated peanuts she also taught me what REAL fried chicken tastes like and how to make it, smother it with gravy, and eat the leftovers; She taught me that it’s okay if there’s a few ants in your cereal one morning because, “They won’t hurt anybody," and if you pour yourself a glass of sweet tea you better make sure it isn't vinegar because vinegar certainly doesn't taste as sweet!
Mother and I visited Great Grandmother quite often as I was growing up and I have many fond memories of being at her house in New Bern, NC, the same house she’s lived in for over 70 years and that she raised Nana and the rest of her children in! I remember running across the street to play on the same swings that Nana and her siblings played on many years ago--sometimes by myself, other times with some of the local children that lived there. I remember sometimes having to deal with my wacky great uncle, David, and his silly jokes and antics. But one of my favorite memories of being at her house was of this little kitten statue she always had sitting in her living room. As a child I was obsessed with kittens and pretty much anything else that was cute and furry, so I was naturally entertained by this little figurine even though it was fake. I also believed, as many little kids do, that anything could happen, and each day I spent at Great Grandmother’s I would close my eyes and wish and pray for that sweet little fake kitten to come to life. I still laugh each time I think of it, and I'm so thankful to have that little kitten in my possession now to serve as a reminder of my time in New Bern with my great grandmother!
Her sugar-coated peanuts are a treat my family never goes a year without! By Christmas Day we have all made too many batches, but somehow we never seem to have leftovers. Each year, Nana purchases bags of peanuts for us, with each bag making 3-4 batches. The peanuts are purchased from Johnson Brothers in Sanford, and hopefully they won't ever close because I'm not sure we'll know where to turn for our raw peanuts. Once our peanuts are measured out, we dissolve the sugar in a pot of water over the stove. Once dissolved we add in our peanuts and a few drops of red food coloring, just to make them look more festive. Then comes the hard part--stirring! I usually end up being the designated stirrer, stirring until the dissolved sugar becomes grainy and sticks to the peanuts, maybe 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the batch. Once they are grainy, the peanuts are then transferred to a baking sheet and placed in the oven to bake (up to 30 minutes, but check them every 10 minutes so they don't burn!). After they cool, they are ready to eat! The combination of the peanuts' natural saltiness and their sugary coat makes it impossible for you to eat only one.
I know Great Grandmother would be proud of the batch Nana and I made this time around because let me tell ya, they were mm-mm good! Though Great Grandmother is no longer with us, I know she and her southern ways will continue to live not only in our family's recipes, but in our traditions, gatherings, and hearts, too.
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| Sugar-coated Peanuts right out of the oven! |
Below is our recipe.
Enjoy and happy baking!
Sugar-Coated Peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups raw, shelled Virginia peanuts with skin
Red food coloring (to make the recipe festive)
1. Dissolve sugar in water in sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Add peanuts and a few drops of red food coloring. Stir frequently until completely coated and no syrup left.
3. Pour on ungreased cookie sheet and separate with fork.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring at 10 minute intervals to prevent burning.
5. Remove from oven and cool completely before eating for best taste!
