Mother-and-Son-Owned Psalms’ Gourmet Brittle Is “Gentle On Your Dental”

Eating peanut brittle is all fun ‘n games… until you chip a tooth.But you don’t have to worry about that with Psalms’ Gourmet Brittle, a small-batch confectionary started by matriarch Psalms Mack and her son, Carlton Owens. Psalms learned to bake brittle in home ec class, and she later perfected her own version of the recipe. Hers is gluten-free, plant-based and most importantly, light and airy. No need to have your dentist on standby.Psalms started out baking brittle as holiday gifts for family and friends. With a nudge from Carlton, she turned her hobby into a business. Today, the two run a brick-and-mortor location in South Pasadena. They also sell brittle at markets across Tampa Bay and on their website with flavors like peanut, cashew, mixed nut, almond chocolate and hot honey pecan. You can even buy brittle-infused popcorn, ice cream, spice rub and coffee.The Zest team visited Psalms and Carlton at the Psalms’ Brittle storefront. In this conversation, they recall how Carlton talked Psalms into starting the company. They also offer advice for working with family and share why being a Black-owned business feels especially sweet.