How do you not burn fudge

[richy]

It seems every time I try to make fudge I always end up with black speckles

 

[dpearce4]

whats your recipe? and what equipment do you use? and do you follow the recipe to the letter?

 

[richy]

I did follow the recipe and I used a heavy pan

 

[Frisbee]

Fudge as a general rule of thumb is only boiled to about 240f, soft ball stage. It can often have easily burnt ingredients like milk, condensed milk or cream in it. Are you constantly stirring? or at least fairly constantly? The reason behind constantly stirring is to prevent heavy matter sinking to the bottom where of course all the heat is, that will then, once it is there burn fairly quickly.......think a pan of boiling milk very quickly becomes brown on the bottom, but.....constanly moving the mixture lengthens the time on the heat so it's a catch 22 situation. It could be that the mixture is catching (and burning ) on the bottom and then you are over vigorously stirring and scraping the burnt off. Are you stirring with a wooden spoon or a metal one? Metal will quickly scrape off burnt matter. You should be stirring with a wooden spoon.

Try again, keep the mixture slowly moving as it reaches temerature and don't be too vigorous. Also try making a double mix, you may find that helps as there is not the need to use every bit and any burnt on the bottom can stay there.

Frisbee

 

[richy]

Thanks for the advice

 

[AMAE]

A decent sugar thermometer is a must too......

 

[oliver90owner]

A decent sugar thermometer is a must too......

Have to disagree here.

1) Frisbee does it to soft ball stage which only needs a large jug, or similar, and cold water.

2) Repitition is the secret. An inaccurate sugar thermometer is not so much an impediment - as long as you are not relying on the definitive readings as being accurate. But you do need to know the real temperature for any given reading.

RAB

 

[Frisbee]

True..........a sugar thermometer is at best hopelessly inaccurate, I use one as a guide only and a bowl of water for the definative result. See my rather long winded post on Baker's fondant for how to find soft ball stage if you don't know.

Here's a couple of recipes for fudge I used to make when I sold at shows. I made 6lbs at a time and it never burnt.

Known as Aunty Anne's
1/2 pint milk
1lb 12 oz sugar, brown and white mixed
4oz butter
vanilla essence

Bring milk to boil, add sugar and butter, stir till dissolved. Re boil and take to 240f.....soft ball. Remove from heat add vanilla essence, stir in and then stand pan in a sink of cold water, stir till it thickens then start to beat, it goes creamy. Pour into a 7" buttered tin (lined with silicone paper if you have it) before it gets too stiff to handle, smooth with a flat bladed knife. It makes a lovely grainy crumbly fudge unlike the modern smooth stuff.

Scottish Tablet

1lb granulated sugar
1/4 pint single cream
pinch salt
vanilla

Put sugar cream and salt in a pan over a low heat and stil till dissolved. Raise heat and constantly stirring heat to 245....firm ball. Take off heat still in vanilla. stil and beat as above and finally pour into a greased pan before it is too stiff.

Tablet is much beloved by anyone of Scottish descent or anyone with a granny with a penchant for sweet making. It was often made with a can of condensed milk instead of cream.

Frisbee

 

[Frisbee]

Me and my fudge making credentials

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Make it on a solid fuel Rayburn - you'll have trouble burning anything on that!