Mixed nut brittle seized, turned into cement when adding 1/4 tsp of baking soda!

[PastryChefAZ]

Not sure what to do next time. I used a grease free pastry brush and water to eliminate sugar crystals on the side, let the candy thermometer to get to 300 ( hard crack stage) , poured in the tiny amount of baking soda and stirred, it bubbled up nice, was about to pour it on baking sheet.....nope, it had turned into cement. Heavy cement. Had to soak in hot water 5 hours to get it out. Ugh! ....

 

[Mona]

It sounds like your brittle hardened too quickly because the mixture might have been too hot when you added the baking soda. To avoid this, make sure your candy thermometer is accurate and add the baking soda as soon as the mixture reaches 300°F, then stir quickly and pour onto a prepared baking sheet. Also, have everything ready to go before you start cooking to prevent sudden temperature changes. Good luck with your next batch!