Questions and Answers – How To Make Perfect Fudge
Question:
Hi there! My wife and I were trying to make fudge last night for the holidays. We though we did everything right from the ingredients to the proper temperature, but it never set up in the pans and is still runny and kind of grainy. Please save us from this attack of the dripping fudge! – Todd and Melissa
Answer:
Follow the directions in the recipe exactly! Do not mess with the recipe. The proportions matter in the chemistry of fudge making.
Measuring ingredients has to be precise, as too much or too little of any ingredient could ruin the fudge.
Never double the recipe or substitute main recipe ingredients (except for add-ins such as nuts or dried fruit), as it will affect the cooking time and temperature.
Failure of the fudge to set, is most typically the result of way too much butter or the substitution of an inferior margarine for superior butte
Cool at room temperature or placing the pan in a room temperature bath of water. Too rapid a cooling (like placing in the refrigerator) can cause ‘premature’ crystallization and result in a lumpy, grainy fudge.”
Check out the following article on fudge making: The Physical Chemistry of Making Fudge, by Sue Ann Bowling.
If all else fails, failed fudge that refuses to set up still makes incredibly decadent frosting.
Check out this famous Can’t Fail 5-Minute Chocolate Fudge recipe.
Storage – How To Store Fudge:
Room Temperature: Fudge stored at room temperature in an air-tight container will last 7 to 14 days. Fudge should be stored in an air-tight container (tin or plastic), each layer separated by a sheet of waxed paper. Fudge stored in an air-tight container at room temperature will “ripen” over the first 24 hours.
Refrigerator: Fudge stored in the refrigerator can last 2 to 3 weeks when kept in an air-tight container.
Freezer: Frozen fudge will keep for months if wrapped in waxed paper, then again in aluminum foil, and stored in an air-tight container. Wrap each individual slice or the entire box with plastic or aluminum foil and seal thoroughly. Properly wrapped it should keep for several months. Leave fudge in its wrapping for at least two hours upon removal from the freezer to permit it to return to room temperature.
Categories:
Chocolate and Bark Candies Chocolate Recipes Cooking Lessons - Cooking 101 Fudge Recipes