Qu's Peanut Crisp

Qu's Peanut Crisp

　　Qu Shouying, a farmer from Wolong Village, Shuidao Town, Muping County, Shandong Province, became prosperous by running a family-run confectionery factory. The peanut crisp candy she produces is very popular.

　　Production Method:

　　1. Making the filling: Select high-quality peanuts and slowly roast them over low heat in a pot. Then rub off the red skins, winnow them clean, and grind them into a paste (called peanut filling), which is then stored in a vat for later use. The peanut filling made on the same day must be used that day; otherwise, it will spoil and affect product quality.

　　2. Melting the sugar: Mix cane sugar with neutral water and pour it into a sugar-melting pot. Boil over high heat. When the temperature rises to 155–160°C, immediately remove from the heat. Observe the color of the sugar, and add maltose syrup (i.e., starch syrup) and edible vegetable oil to enhance elasticity and adjust the color.

　　3. Warming the sugar: Pour the melted sugar onto a warming board, spread it evenly, and let it partially solidify. Then divide it in half—one half for pulling into threads, the other for wrapping the filling.

　　4. Pulling threads: Using a clean wooden stick, repeatedly stretch and fold the sugar sheet with both hands until it becomes elastic and has good tensile strength, with a fine texture and pure white color.

　　5. Wrapping the filling: While pulling the threads, repeatedly knead the other half of the sugar sheet, then spread it out and spread the peanut filling on top before wrapping it. Next, two people each hold one end and repeatedly pull and fold the mixture until the two become fully integrated (this is the sweet filling). Both pulling threads and wrapping the filling must be done at the right temperature, requiring quick, accurate, skilled, and neat movements. Otherwise, the sugar strands will harden, and you’ll need to reheat them with an electric stove, which is not cost-effective.

　　6. Stretching into strips: Knead the pulled sugar strands together, spread them flat, then pour the sweet filling on top and wrap it into a cylinder. Stretch from one end. Apply even force to ensure the sugar strands come out uniformly thick. Otherwise, the finished candy pieces may vary in size and look unappealing. Once the sugar strands are stretched, cut them into lengths of 27–33 centimeters.

　　7. Molding: Place the cut sugar strands onto a molding press board and press down firmly to shape them. Do not place too many sugar strands in at once—usually four to six is appropriate. The orientation of the sugar strands should be perpendicular to the patterns on the press board.

　　8. Cooling and packaging: After the candy pieces are molded, quickly remove them from the press board and spread them out on a table to cool. Do not stack or touch the candy pieces to avoid sticking. Package them only after they have completely cooled.