In Fudge 101wecovered a brief introduction of what is fudge, the ingredients of fudge, and the technique of making fudge. Fudge 102 is aimed at the newbie who is going to try their hand at making fudge. Now it’s getting exciting.
How long does it take to make fudge:
- about 18 min to reach boiling
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage
- 60 minutes to cool
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set
Tips for the fudge newb:
Check the weather. If it’s humid don’t make fudge today.
You don’tneeda candy thermometer, but the ball stage is difficult for a newb to judge correctly, and the window of time between under-cooked and over-cooked is razor-thin. Save yourself the tears and get a good, digital candy thermometer. I havethis Taylor thermometerwhich is available onAmazon.comfor $22., I picked mine up at the St. Lawrence Market and also use it for tempering chocolate.
Get everything ready before you turn on the stove. Line your pan with foil and grease it. Completely grease the pot you’ll cook the sugar in, right up to the edge. Grease the wooden spoon or beater blade.
Have a jug of cold water in the fridge, and a larger pan set on the counter to be the water bath.
Read your recipe thoroughly, make sure you understand when to stir and when not to. Understand at what point you add any extras like nuts or fruit (typically right before it’s ready to be poured into the pan).
Beware the recipe that tells you to chill the fudge to ensure it sets. Proper fudge will set after sitting at room temperature for about 4 hours.
Understand that cooking the fudge properly is the skirmish before the war. The real test of your mettle will occur when you beat the fudge, and learn to master the fine art of turning and pouring. And if it doesn’t work out it’s okay! Don’t give up.
What works for one person…
- some recipes insist on cream, others use milk
- some add the butter at the beginning, others add it when the vanilla is added
- some people use a wet pastry brush to wipe away sugar crystals
- some people only beat by hand, others use a hand mixer or stand mixer
Personally, I use 2% milk, becauseevery timeI made fudge with cream it failed. I add the butter at the beginning, and beat it using my KitchenAid. My fudge never turned out until I started using a water bath, and I am still mastering when to stop beating it.
Equipment:
- digital candy thermometer, remember to calibrate it
- heavy-bottom sauce pot, ideally with straight sides so you can clip thermometer onto it
- sturdy wooden spoons (avoid metal which conducts the insane heat right into your skin)
- hand mixer or stand mixer (unless you’re a masoch*st and you actually want to beat fudge by hand, in which case have at it)
- 8″ square pan + one bigger pan to serve asthe cold water bath
- tin foil
OK! I’m ready to get fudging!
Just one more thing! I talked earlier about when the thermometer hits “soft ball” (235°F to 240°F, or 112.78°C to 115.55°C) you should remove the pot from the heat immediately and place it in a cold water bath.
Not all fudge-makers use a cold bath, but I recommend it for this reason: supersaturated sugar is so hot, it continues to cook after you remove it from the heat (like taking something out of the microwave, it keeps getting hotter). If you are removing the fudge from the stove at the top of the soft ball range, which is no higher than240°F or 116°C , your fudge willcook itselfright past the optimum temperature and no wonder it’s not going to set.
Once it starts creeping up to the ideal range, I watch it like a hawk, and as soon as it’saboutto hit soft ball (it’s one or two tenths of a degree away), I take it off the stove and set it in the water bath pan. As soon as the temperature peaks I add the cold water so that way it can’t get past soft ball. Thetemperature will begin to drop and now you can’t exceed the soft ball stage. Make sense?
Let the pot sit undisturbed between 30-60 minutes, until temperature drops to 100°F or 37.77°C. Some people say you don’t need to go this low, but I’ve started aiming for this temperature after reading how cooler sugar crystals stay smaller (to avoid grainy fudge).
Then, andonly then, are you ready for the final confrontation.
FAQs
Let the fudge rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before placing in the refrigerator, uncovered. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, about 2-3 hours (or overnight), before slicing and serving.
How long do you let fudge cool before beating? ›
Fudge 102 – newb's guide to getting started
- about 18 min to reach boiling.
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
- 60 minutes to cool.
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set.
Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start.
What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
Why did my fudge turn into toffee? ›
If your fudge has a texture like soft toffee, it could be due to overcooking, using too much sugar or butter, or not cooking it to the right temperature.
What is the best pan to make fudge in? ›
Saucepan: Choose a heavy, straight-sided metal saucepan that holds about twice the volume of your fudge recipe.
How to tell if fudge is bad? ›
Signs That Your Fudge Has Gone Bad
Signs of spoilage include a dry, crumbly texture, discoloration, and an off smell or taste. If you notice any of these signs, it's best to discard the fudge to avoid any potential health risks.
Why didn't my fudge get hard? ›
The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.
Should you stir fudge as it cools? ›
Without stirring or agitating the pot, allow the fudge to cool to 130°F (54°C)—or even lower! Harold McGee says that “candy texture is affected by the syrup temperature at which crystallization begins,” and this is the temperature where the seeds can form correctly.
What happens if you stir fudge too early? ›
Don't stir!
Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.
For perfect fudge, the syrup should form a soft ball that can be picked up, but easily flattened. If the syrup is undercooked, drops of syrup will sink to the bottom of the glass in threads or simply dissolve. If the syrup is overcooked, the ball will be hard and difficult to flatten with your fingers.
What can I do with failed fudge? ›
Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
Can you reboil fudge that hasn't set? ›
If it doesn't set, or if it sets very hard, you can add more milk and boil it again. However, even if it doesn't set, it'll usually be a nice frosting-like consistency, so I sometimes just make a cake to put under it.
What should fudge look like after beating? ›
Beat the mixture until it just loses it's shine and becomes very thick (this should take about 5-10 minutes). The longer you beat once it starts to thicken then the more crumbly the final fudge will be. If you like it smooth - beat it only until comes away from the sides of the pan and sticks well to the spoon.
What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
How do you describe high quality fudge? ›
High-quality fudge tastes smooth and creamy because it contains small sugar crystals. It has a deep brown color and a satiny sheen. Poor-quality fudge tastes grainy because it contains large sugar crystals.
What causes homemade fudge to be grainy? ›
Grainy Fudge
The sugars probably crystallized, a common mistake when making candy like fudge or caramel. If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon.
What gives fudge its firm texture? ›
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
