My Fudge Is Crunchy! Where Did I Go Wrong?
This is the recipe I'm trying to follow, but from what I've seen it's a fairly standard fudge recipe. I watched a few videos online and I felt like I had the general idea of what to do.
The fudge came out pretty good except there are a few very small, very crunchy 'bits' mixed in. It's not that the entire thing is 'grainy', the texture is pretty much what I'd expect...it's just a few small crunchy bits mixed it.
I want to try the recipe again, but I don't know what I could have done wrong. So I'm afraid I'll repeat the mistake. Can anyone speculate what might have gone wrong? I've come up with the following....
The Mixture Wasn't Smooth
When I first mixed the milk, sugar and cocoa, even after a fair bit of stirring I could see small clumps of sugar. Could this has been the cause? Do I just need to stir it more?
I Burned It
After bringing the fudge to boil, I reduced the heat to simmer. The temperature was 212F and I was aiming for 238F. I have a gas stove, but I struggled to get the flame set correctly....it would either boil or stop simmering. After 10 minutes or so of simmering it was still at 212F. I ended up with a 'very light boil' and the temperature started rising again. In total, I probably spent 30 minutes heating it. Right before it hit 238, I thought I smelled 'burning'. I turned off the heat, moved it, and went along as normal.
Or possibly something else?
Best Answer
The most likely culprit is how well you beat the mixture just before pouring it into the pan. I really like Alton Brown's explanation of the fudge-making process. What you're trying to do is form very small sugar crystals which provide fudge with its fine texture. Those crunchy bits you describe are larger crystal formations which can happen if you have a "seed crystal" remaining in the fudge as it sets. The purpose of stirring the fudge very well before pouring it into the pan is to deliberately form small crystals and break up any larger ones. If you didn't really thoroughly stir even just a few small patches of the fudge, some seed crystals may have developed there.
The clumps you describe in the initial mixture should have dissolved, but working them out would make sure that everything is evenly distributed. You can add the butter to the original mixture for the same reason instead of waiting until the end like the linked recipe recommends. A little bit of corn syrup will help control crystals too. Lastly, stir the fudge like crazy and scrape down as much of the work bowl as you can while you go. If your arms don't feel like they're about to fall off afterwards, you probably should have mixed it more.
Regarding temperature, remember that when simmering your fudge will carry over a couple degrees even after you turn off the heat. So you can kill the burner when your thermometer reaches 235F and monitor until you hit the target temp of 238F.
Quite honestly, fudge-making is a pretty sensitive process, so don't be too broken up if it takes a few tries and a lot of attention to detail before it's perfect.
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Quick Answer about "My Fudge Is Crunchy! Where Did I Go Wrong?"
To fix oily, hard or grainy fudge, scoop the fudge back into a pot with about a cup of water. Cook it over low heat until the fudge dissolves. Then bring the fudge back up to the temperature specified in the recipe and follow the remaining steps. The flavor may be slightly diluted, but the texture will be improved.Why is my fudge crunchy?
If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature. Don't throw out the whole pan, because you may be able to melt the fudge down and try again.Can you fix gritty fudge?
OMG My fudge is grainy, what do I do? -Pop the grainy fudge back into the pan along with some water and a little cream and melt the fudge back down to a liquid and re-boil it to temperature. Heat slowly to begin with and make sure the mixture goes completely smooth before bringing it to the boil.Why is my fudge not smooth?
Leaving the fudge mixture alone while it cools prevents the seed crystals from forming until you are ready for them to do so. Another reason for your grainy fudge could have to do with the fact that there wasn't enough fluid or fat for the sugar to dissolve. You also may not have beaten the fudge long or hard enough.How can you tell if fudge is overcooked?
Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard. High-quality fudge has many small crystals. If the process of crystallization begins too early, fewer crystals form and they become much larger.xQc Saying Things
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