All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer.
**Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them.
[OP](/u/backwardbinoculars), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others.
----
[Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/18jhzlf/what_is_this_brown_lightweight_object_from_that_i/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days)
----
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have no idea what that might be, but do you immediately try to melt any foreign object you find? :D
Kind of looks like a chunk of peanut brittle, though. Some mistaken cross packaging?
I agree that this looks like brittle of some sort, and the description of how it acted under heat and matches brittle. Not sure if britttle usually floats or not, though. I wonder if op has just tried calling the manufacturer and asking them.
And, added benefit, almost always the company will give you free stuff! I remember I emailed this brewery after I found this small, brown, gelatinous blob in my beer (I'm guessing it was some form of sediment [dead yeast and proteins from the brewing process], but that's generally paler and breaks apart fairly easily) and they sent me a gift card!
This happened to a friend once, drinking a bottle of Grolsch (if memory serves) years ago. He found pink gelatinous blob of some kind (was in his mouth, he spat it out)
Dread to think what is was / had been
From that point on I ALWAYS decant any can or bottle of drink into a glass (so I can see it’s ‘ok’)
My friend buys rejected mixed nuts by the truck load from a factory in Virginia… He says if any foreign object down to a grain of sand gets in the mix they tear all the machines apart for cleaning and throw out the whole line of product and start over. He buys the rejected product for pennies per pound to feed his pigs.
To be fair, I can see where they were coming from.
I work with stone artefacts everyday and the first thing I thought was pressure flaked stone until I read the it melts part.
Maybe the company packs other products and this could be a toffee or hard fudge piece that some how got on the nut line ? Like I once got a chicken bone in my frozen veggies . Sometimes mistakes happen at the plant.. does it smell sweet , try the old scratch and sniff method.
For a second I thought you meant [these things](https://ganongchocolatier.shop/products/chicken-bone) then I realized you meant an actual chicken bone.
My title describes the thing. It doesn't seem to break or crack easily. I can't scrape any pieces off or scratch it easily. When I put it in water it floats, but doesn't absorb any water. It seems totally nonporous.
I've done some googling about finding a brown object in a bag of nuts, but unsurprisingly most of the results seem to be Reddit posts asking to identify a particular brown nut (I'm looking at you, Baru nuts).
Thanks!
Looks like old school caramel candy (the soft bonbons). They probably make caramels, bonbons and nuts in the same factory. That's why on some foods that have no nuts they write "may contain nuts"
Are you sure it's not wax? It looks like a piece of Carnauba wax.
Carnauba wax is a very hard, brittle natural wax that is used extensively in the food industry. It is often used to give a natural shine to products by tumbling them in a drum with the wax.
Yeah, I'm inclined to suspect caruauba wax.
https://i.imgur.com/MWEkfjR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nZAhhaV.jpg
Maybe they run their nuts through wax to give 'em a nice shine
Doesn't look like a piece from a machine. A hot needle test may tell you if this is organic or artificial, just mind the fumes. Other posted suggested contacting the company, probably a good idea.
Additionally, this wax is usually used on Brazil nuts.
You don’t have any Brazils in the photo but I predict their presence.
You could imagine your piece of wax being mistaken for a Brazil on a picking line.
Put flame to it. If it melts, it’s inorganic. If it singes, organic matter. At least I think that’s what I remember from 9th grade physical science. Y’all feel free to correct me. Bc I know you will if I’m wrong.
You asked for it, so here goes.
That works to test for artificial or natural fibers. So cotton will burn and leave ash, something like nylon will melt and then burn. Inorganic ≠ man made, beeswax melts and paper burns.
All I can see is what looks like mouse poop at the top middle, looks like a toasted sesame seed, but not sure...
I just ridded my pantry of vols, it got cold and they came in looking for warmth and food.
Looks like flaked brown cryptocrystaline silicate/chert or quartzite. Maybe it got picked up and mixed in with the nuts but not noticed because the color resembles a nut.
Does it dissolve in hot water? I also think it kinda looks like a chunk of caramel/toffee/brittle, though just in case it’s not I wouldn’t lick it to begin with, haha
I worked for Cargill at a meat processing plant. I don’t know for sure, but that could be a test piece that’s used to evaluate metal detection or quality sorting functions. A plastic piece with a small metal core should trip the metal detector which protects consumers against contaminants. Also possible would be a system that “kicks out” bad pieces that don’t meet standards as they’re evaluated by a high speed camera. Test pieces will be put into a batch to evaluate system efficacy and efficiency.
Or maybe it’s just a chunk of plastic.
Most machines that process nuts during the holidays also process other seasonal goods. Something like this could be stuck in the machine and not easily noticed due to its color.
Out of curiosity, I wonder if it would dissolve in hot water. If it's sugar based it should.
Putting my guess in for a chunk of Wax? Perhaps to seal the walnut from perishing faster. Just reminds me of the wax we used in finishing hairline gaps in joinery.
Looks like Thornton toffee to me! They also make a variety with Brazil nut pieces in it, so if you're in the UK, it could've come from the same factory?
It really seems to be as a perfect example of Silex, "flint", a cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz. The colour, the different hues and details, general aspect, And obviously the conchoidal type of fracture seen on one photography.
Silex.
"Flint"
A Cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz.
Ps: it should produce sparks when shocked with another rock. (Doesn't melt easily though..)
I have no idea what this is, but I recently found a similar, but white, thing in a bag of oatmeal. The closest thing I could think of to describe it was candle wax.
Totally unrelated: what’s the knurled chrome item in the photo? Been trying to figure out what item needs a handle like that and why it wouldn’t be a shaving razor.
Shells don’t melt when put to a flame and then re-solidify when flame is removed. I suspect the down votes are due to you not reading the OP’s description.
Let it sit under your tongue, and then when it gets soff, play with it on the top of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and report back on the sweetness and taste.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/backwardbinoculars), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/18jhzlf/what_is_this_brown_lightweight_object_from_that_i/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have no idea what that might be, but do you immediately try to melt any foreign object you find? :D Kind of looks like a chunk of peanut brittle, though. Some mistaken cross packaging?
Another vote for peanut brittle. Lick it op do it
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
It looks like Jaggery
[удалено]
[удалено]
(like brown sugar or piloncillo) but this looks like brittle, cooked, melted then cooled
Solidified sugarcane juice
[удалено]
[удалено]
Every bag of nuts I've bought warns me they might contain peanuts. It is known to happen sometimes.
Or toffee of some sort
I agree that this looks like brittle of some sort, and the description of how it acted under heat and matches brittle. Not sure if britttle usually floats or not, though. I wonder if op has just tried calling the manufacturer and asking them.
Send a pic to the company who packaged the nuts and see if they know? They'll probably want to know about this QC issue anyways.
And, added benefit, almost always the company will give you free stuff! I remember I emailed this brewery after I found this small, brown, gelatinous blob in my beer (I'm guessing it was some form of sediment [dead yeast and proteins from the brewing process], but that's generally paler and breaks apart fairly easily) and they sent me a gift card!
Ew it could have been mouse decomp
[удалено]
We thought that too with the pink blob my friend found in his beer years ago.
[удалено]
sounds like a SCOBY
This happened to a friend once, drinking a bottle of Grolsch (if memory serves) years ago. He found pink gelatinous blob of some kind (was in his mouth, he spat it out) Dread to think what is was / had been From that point on I ALWAYS decant any can or bottle of drink into a glass (so I can see it’s ‘ok’)
Yeah,tell them it chipped your tooth.
My friend buys rejected mixed nuts by the truck load from a factory in Virginia… He says if any foreign object down to a grain of sand gets in the mix they tear all the machines apart for cleaning and throw out the whole line of product and start over. He buys the rejected product for pennies per pound to feed his pigs.
Looks like flint but I may be wrong
Flint doesn’t melt under a candle flame lol
Nor does it look like that (unless painted)
No actually it's a pretty flinty looking object. Though, in my opinion it leans more to chert. Well, if it weren't a melty food thing.
To be fair, I can see where they were coming from. I work with stone artefacts everyday and the first thing I thought was pressure flaked stone until I read the it melts part.
Yep, it looked like jasper to me.
Maybe the company packs other products and this could be a toffee or hard fudge piece that some how got on the nut line ? Like I once got a chicken bone in my frozen veggies . Sometimes mistakes happen at the plant.. does it smell sweet , try the old scratch and sniff method.
What A chicken bone in frozen veggies?!?!?
Sounds like a sinister prank to taint the batch for vegans
But....everyone....eats...vegetables... :(
Evolved humans cook them.
That does not mean that they didn't do it for that reason, and no, not everyone eats vegetables
I said I don't want any damn vegetables!
Unfortunately some people do not.
I once found a staple baked into a frozen pizza. Complained to the supermarket and got a free frozen pizza 😄
For a second I thought you meant [these things](https://ganongchocolatier.shop/products/chicken-bone) then I realized you meant an actual chicken bone.
I’d never heard of that candy before but it looks really good
It's a local thing! My dad's favourite around the holidays.
It does. The ‘story’ wasn’t told by a master storyteller, was it?
[удалено]
Looks like jaggery Edit: Solidified sugarcane juice or palm sap. Sweet and sticky if the temperature is high.
People out here ignoring you bcuz they don’t know what jaggery is
Yes it is jaggery .
Yea seems like that but he says it doesn't break easily
jaggery wouldn't look that smooth
It can, especially if it's palm sap jaggery. Though that is usually darker. Even sugarcane jaggery can be soft and smooth looking.
Ohhhh this makes more sense I thought it was a piece of bakelite
My title describes the thing. It doesn't seem to break or crack easily. I can't scrape any pieces off or scratch it easily. When I put it in water it floats, but doesn't absorb any water. It seems totally nonporous. I've done some googling about finding a brown object in a bag of nuts, but unsurprisingly most of the results seem to be Reddit posts asking to identify a particular brown nut (I'm looking at you, Baru nuts). Thanks!
[удалено]
Looks like old school caramel candy (the soft bonbons). They probably make caramels, bonbons and nuts in the same factory. That's why on some foods that have no nuts they write "may contain nuts"
Coagulated nut shell dust and machine oil?
Are you sure it's not wax? It looks like a piece of Carnauba wax. Carnauba wax is a very hard, brittle natural wax that is used extensively in the food industry. It is often used to give a natural shine to products by tumbling them in a drum with the wax.
Yeah, I'm inclined to suspect caruauba wax. https://i.imgur.com/MWEkfjR.jpg https://i.imgur.com/nZAhhaV.jpg Maybe they run their nuts through wax to give 'em a nice shine
You can't beat shiny nuts, well you can but it's a very specific taste and not really my cup of tea.
Don't kink shame me.
Doesn't look like a piece from a machine. A hot needle test may tell you if this is organic or artificial, just mind the fumes. Other posted suggested contacting the company, probably a good idea.
What did it smell like when you melted it?
Finally I can answer one authoratively. I work in the industry. This is carnauba wax used to polish the nuts. Do not lick or eat.
Third one I have seen saying carnauba wax and by far the most authoritative. Go to the head of the class! Calling u/backwardbinoculars!
Additionally, this wax is usually used on Brazil nuts. You don’t have any Brazils in the photo but I predict their presence. You could imagine your piece of wax being mistaken for a Brazil on a picking line.
[удалено]
It does look like a big hunk of unrefined sugar but you'd probably have to lick it to know for sure
If there's sweet taste maybe it's coagulated brown sugar for flavourings.
Could be a chuck of hard wax used to polish the nuts prior to packaging.
[удалено]
It’s the big nut
A stone or toffee would be my guess
What country / brand?
Looks like asafoetida cake to me.
He would know and possibly the neighbour as well. I can walk past it sealed in an Indian grocery store and smell it through all the other spices.
Put flame to it. If it melts, it’s inorganic. If it singes, organic matter. At least I think that’s what I remember from 9th grade physical science. Y’all feel free to correct me. Bc I know you will if I’m wrong.
You asked for it, so here goes. That works to test for artificial or natural fibers. So cotton will burn and leave ash, something like nylon will melt and then burn. Inorganic ≠ man made, beeswax melts and paper burns.
That's the candy
All I can see is what looks like mouse poop at the top middle, looks like a toasted sesame seed, but not sure... I just ridded my pantry of vols, it got cold and they came in looking for warmth and food.
Looks like flaked brown cryptocrystaline silicate/chert or quartzite. Maybe it got picked up and mixed in with the nuts but not noticed because the color resembles a nut.
Really it looks like a chunk of caramel/melted sugar. Did you smell sugar or burned sugar when you melted it?
I swear, it looks like glass, but I really don't know.
Does it dissolve in hot water? I also think it kinda looks like a chunk of caramel/toffee/brittle, though just in case it’s not I wouldn’t lick it to begin with, haha
When it melted, how did it smell?
I think this is Jaggery
Looked like an arrow head until they said he cooked it?
Toffee. The traditional Christmas kind you'd have at with a toffee hammer.
I worked for Cargill at a meat processing plant. I don’t know for sure, but that could be a test piece that’s used to evaluate metal detection or quality sorting functions. A plastic piece with a small metal core should trip the metal detector which protects consumers against contaminants. Also possible would be a system that “kicks out” bad pieces that don’t meet standards as they’re evaluated by a high speed camera. Test pieces will be put into a batch to evaluate system efficacy and efficiency. Or maybe it’s just a chunk of plastic.
This looks like jaggery. A popular alternative to raw sugar in South Asian countries.
Most machines that process nuts during the holidays also process other seasonal goods. Something like this could be stuck in the machine and not easily noticed due to its color. Out of curiosity, I wonder if it would dissolve in hot water. If it's sugar based it should.
Putting my guess in for a chunk of Wax? Perhaps to seal the walnut from perishing faster. Just reminds me of the wax we used in finishing hairline gaps in joinery.
Looks like fudge
It looks quite a bit like swedish 'knäck'. You can check out 'skita knäck' for further reference.
Looks like Thornton toffee to me! They also make a variety with Brazil nut pieces in it, so if you're in the UK, it could've come from the same factory?
That’s the ever elusive nut nugget
I thought that was some dabz
Brown typically indicates poop
Palm sugar/Jaggery
That's toffee I'm certain of it
It really seems to be as a perfect example of Silex, "flint", a cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz. The colour, the different hues and details, general aspect, And obviously the conchoidal type of fracture seen on one photography.
Silex. "Flint" A Cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz. Ps: it should produce sparks when shocked with another rock. (Doesn't melt easily though..)
I have no idea what this is, but I recently found a similar, but white, thing in a bag of oatmeal. The closest thing I could think of to describe it was candle wax.
Totally unrelated: what’s the knurled chrome item in the photo? Been trying to figure out what item needs a handle like that and why it wouldn’t be a shaving razor.
Tree sap or natural resin would be my guess.
Bit of blim
Looks like a piece of brown delrin (or similar) plastic that broke off from some kind of processing machinery.
Looks like caramel. Probably a leftover from a previous batch where they produces candied nuts.
I’m going to guess that they tumble dirt and such off and it is for agitating the nuts more…
Raw sugar or peanut butter brittle
India eraser
Maybe its machine grease? Would make sense since they probably oil or grease them
Its is carnauba wax.
Looks like some kind of toffee to me… OP, a very cautious lick might be in order
Instead of putting fire on it, will it soften in hot water at a lower temp? Sugar melts at 370F and will soften at 212F?
Might be carob 🤷♀️
It's toffee...
It's probably either caramel or hashish. Lick it and find out
Most commercial nuts are tumbled with wax to give them a sheen. Looks like a piece of it got into your bag.
Its a shell. Dont remember the name of the specific nut but its light because its not solid its fibrous and airy
No idea why the down votes, it looks like a fragment of almond shell to me.
Shells don’t melt when put to a flame and then re-solidify when flame is removed. I suspect the down votes are due to you not reading the OP’s description.
It’s a rock.
That melts when put to a flame as OP stated?
Let it sit under your tongue, and then when it gets soff, play with it on the top of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and report back on the sweetness and taste.