Why does my fudge always set up like a rock?
I've followed the recipe for an opera fudge (and several others) as close as I can, yet my fudge always turns out grainy and crumbly. The best results I've gotten have come from not washing down the sides of the pan, but transferring the mixture to a new pan instead.
Best Answer
In Scotland we make a kind of fudge that is deliberatly hard and crystallised known as Tablet. This was a popular treat when I was growing up. Essencially the recipe for tablet, soft fudge, toffee and caramel are quite similar. The difference is made by how you cook and treat the mix as it cools.
Essentially you need to know about sugar boiling points. There are two important levels used: soft boil, and hard boil. My cook books suggest using a sugar thermometer to get the perfect boil but I've never found a sugar thermometer in the shops. Instead I rely on a great deal of practice, the colour, the texture and the drip of the mix to gage how hot the sugar is.
In a soft ball (234–240 °F or 112–115 °C), if you drip the mix onto a very cold surface or into cold water, then touch the drip with your finger, it will be soft like caramel. Additionally the colour will change from cream to yellow/tan.
In a hard ball (250–266 °F or 121–130 °C), dripping again onto a cold surface or into cold water, then touching the drip with your finger, it will be firmer or even hard. The colour will darken slightly to a dark yellow or light brown.
For caramel and fudge you go to a soft boil then cool. For tablet and toffee you go to a hard boil.
The next part is the cooling. This is equally important as the boiling. The faster you cool the mix the smaller the crystals become. The slower, the larger. If you want a caramel or a toffee, you must avoid agitating the mix as it cools. For fudge you should stir the gently as it cools slightly before pouring onto the try. For tablet, the mix should be vigorously stirred until stiff then poured onto a try.
Pictures about "Why does my fudge always set up like a rock?"
Quick Answer about "Why does my fudge always set up like a rock?"
Beating the cooled batter is one of the crucial steps of fudge-making, but overbeating can turn fudge hard as a rock.Why is my fudge hard as a rock?
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 crystalized fudge?
Don't panic if your fudge is grainy, nothing is lost it just requires some more work. 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.What is the secret to smooth fudge?
The trick to good homemade fudge is to cook the ingredients to the right temperature to form a sugar syrup, and cool the mixture properly so the texture of the fudge turns out smooth and firm, but soft enough to cut.What keeps fudge from setting up?
When your fudge isn't setting properly, the culprit is typically going to be that the temperature wasn't right. If your fudge is sticky or overly gummy, then it likely wasn't cooked to a high enough temperature. What is this? People often make this mistake when they are making fudge for the first time.Diagnosing fudge: too soft or too hard
More answers regarding why does my fudge always set up like a rock?
Answer 2
Be patient and do not stir fudge during cooking, only drag wooden spoon across bottom of pan. Remove from heat at 236-238 degrees fahrenheit, or soft ball stage. Drop in butter and let cool without stirring to 110 degree fahrenheit. Very important to let the fudge cool and rest before beating.
Answer 3
What you're seeing is crystalization. Fudge is such a picky animal. Here is a site called the Science of Cooking that walks through exactly how to avoid grainy fudge:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-fudge.html#
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Pixabay, Anderson Guerra, Andrea Piacquadio