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Peanuts in sugar is a natural delicacy that successfully replaces other types of snacks and does not require large expenditures in terms of both time and material resources. It can be prepared quickly and easily at home.
Which peanuts are best for cooking
The freshness of the product significantly affects its taste, therefore, when choosing peanuts, you need to pay attention to its appearance, storage method and its duration. Stale or spoiled beans do not last long, and on top of that, they can harm your health.
There are several aspects worth paying attention to.
- Externally, peanut beans should be clean and free of damage: dark spots, chips. It is advisable to take peanuts by weight so that you can evaluate the appearance of the product. Better to buy nuts without shell, but with skin.
- The kernels should be dry, not smell damp or leave a damp feeling on your hands. Such a product can be damaged by mold and will not be stored for a long time.
- The aroma of fresh peanuts is bright, tart and pronounced. If notes of dampness or acidity are mixed, the nut is old, possibly damaged by mold.
- Peanuts with small kernels - Indian - have a pronounced taste, while varieties with large kernels are practically tasteless with a faint smell.
The best peanuts are always sold in markets or specialty stores. Supermarkets offer nuts in opaque packaging with various additives, it is peeled and pre-processed, in such conditions it is impossible to determine the freshness of peanuts, to evaluate its color and smell. This increases the risk of buying a low-quality product with low taste.
How to make sugar-coated peanuts at home
A treat like sweetened peanuts can be purchased ready-made in the store, but it is much healthier to cook it at home. This requires only three ingredients: peanuts, sugar and water. Relatively little time and you can be sure of the benefits and quality of the finished product. Sweet beans can be cooked in two ways: icing and burnt sugar.
Peanuts in sugar glaze
To prepare dessert you will need:
- peanuts - 200 g;
- water - 1/3 cup;
- sugar - 0.5 cups.
Cooking time: 15 minutes.
- Unpeeled peanuts must be fried in a pan for 3-5 minutes over low heat. The beans should warm up and begin to give off a pleasant tart aroma.
- The next step is to pour water into a glass with sugar, stir a little to get a sweet gruel. It must be poured into a pan with peanuts, stirring constantly.
- The stirring should be constant so that each bean is evenly coated with the glaze. It is important not to miss the moment when the mass begins to thicken, you need to pay attention and get ready to turn off the heat. When there is practically no moisture left, the peanuts are ready.
- From the frying pan, the dessert must be transferred to a separate plate, allowed to cool and dry. This is how it looks in finished form.
This appetizer goes well with tea, coffee or as an independent dessert. It should be used with caution by people with peanut allergies or diabetes mellitus.
Peanuts in burnt sugar
The recipe for peanuts in burnt sugar is practically the same as the previous one.This method gives the dessert a soft caramel flavor, the saturation of which can be adjusted by the duration of cooking. For him you will need:
- peanuts - 2 cups;
- sugar - 200 g;
- water - 100 g.
Cooking time: 15 minutes.
Cooking process:
- Peanuts, without peeling, must be fried over low heat. It should warm up and start emitting a strong odor. This step will take 4-5 minutes. You do not need to add oil, you just need to calcine the beans.
- Mix sugar and water in a separate container. It is desirable that the crystals begin to gradually dissolve. This mixture should be poured into a clean hot pan and heated for 5 minutes. The sugar should take on a light brown hue.
- As soon as the sugar acquires the desired shade, you can immediately pour the peanuts into it, stirring constantly. It is important to monitor the consistency of the caramel, and when all the beans are covered with sugar crystals, you can turn off the heat. You need to immediately transfer the beans to another container so that they cool down and the caramel set.
- The nuts will be soft brown in color, after cooling they can be served with tea.
You can choose the color and taste of caramel yourself: fry it more or less. It is important not to burn the sugar, otherwise it will acquire an unpleasant bitter taste.
Calorie content of peanuts in sugar
Sugar itself is a high-calorie product, and when mixed with peanuts, the calorie content increases. 100 g of delicacies - 490 kcal. This amount is approximately equal to a glass of nuts. Carbohydrates in such a portion - 43 g - are about 30% of the daily value. There is also a lot of fat here - 37.8 g, which is equivalent to 50% of the daily intake.
People on a diet should not consume this sweetness or limit their intake to a small handful per day. The product has a high glycemic index, and these are fast carbohydrates that are easily digested and pass into body fat without being used up. Children and people with diabetes should also not overuse the treat.
Terms and conditions of storage
Caramel tends to melt, so it is best not to store peanuts in an area of open sunlight or in a hot room. Low humidity will keep the beans mildew resistant. The best place to store food is in the refrigerator. In it, he can stand up to several months.
Other cooking options
The taste of sweetness can be varied and made into a full-fledged dessert. There are several additives with which many recipes have been invented.
- Honey. A little honey can be added to the water when making caramel or directly into the pan. This will give the nuts a special flavor. Honey cannot be heat treated for a long time, so it is better to add it at the end.
- Lemon acid. You can also make sour caramels at the sugar frying stage: add it to a mixture of sugar and water, mix thoroughly. Half a teaspoon is enough, otherwise the acid will kill all the taste.
- Fruit juices. They can be added instead of water, or thinned slightly to keep the flavor from appearing sugary. Better to choose apple or cherry juice without pulp. Make 1/1 proportion with water (a quarter of a glass of water and the same amount of juice).
The imagination in these recipes is not limited by the listed additives, it all depends on personal preference.
Conclusion
Sweetened peanuts are a great substitute for purchased desserts. By giving preference to homemade sweets, you can maintain your health, be confident in their composition and change the recipe to your taste. A home-made delicacy does not require a lot of effort, money and large expenditures of products.
