Hello. I have made fudge before, and I was pretty good at it until the last few patches. Some thing has changed and I'm not sure why. I cook the sugar, milk and corn syrup to 235. Do the ice bath test and when I get my soft ball i take it off the heat. Wait for it to cool to 110. and then start to stir. This is where things changed: In the past i would only have to stir the syrup for a min. or two before it would start to loose its shine and start to set. I would pour it in my dish and be done. Recently I have to stir the syrup much longer maybe 6 min. before it starts to become matte and take shape. Also now when the fudge sets and is done cooling it is too soft to cut into pieces Why have i experienced this difference and what should I do.
Having problems with Old Fashioned Fudge
- Thread starter helena
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What's the weather like where you are? If you are in the USA, the weather is really screwy right now.
Sometimes weather can affect candy making for some reason.
Are you using new pans? New stove? Different heat settings?
Have you used the same bag of sugar for you previous batches?
Sugar, like flour, comes from different mills and can be processed differently in different mills, even though it is supposed to be the same. Sometimes this can have an effect on baking.
Other than that, I can't think of anything......except possibly you changed the way you work the fudge, even though the ingredients are the same. Did you try any shortcuts?
Its' been a long time since I made fudge. Hopefully Becky has some ideas.
Sometimes weather can affect candy making for some reason.
Are you using new pans? New stove? Different heat settings?
Have you used the same bag of sugar for you previous batches?
Sugar, like flour, comes from different mills and can be processed differently in different mills, even though it is supposed to be the same. Sometimes this can have an effect on baking.
Other than that, I can't think of anything......except possibly you changed the way you work the fudge, even though the ingredients are the same. Did you try any shortcuts?
Its' been a long time since I made fudge. Hopefully Becky has some ideas.
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I would agree with @ChesterV that it may well be due to humidity in the air or ingredients. Maybe try a different recipe? I've had success with this one: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/11/how-to-make-the-perfect-fudge-felicity-cloake
Thank you for your thoughts. The only thing other then the weather that is different is pans. I use two different pans depending on the size of the batch I'm making. I live in New England. Not high enough up for altitude issues, but it has crossed my mind that humidity is a factor. Also the temp. of my kitchen varies if I am running my wood stove or not.
I am able to make fudge which is what matters. I am still perplexed as to why more stirring was needed all of a sudden?
Having these problems has caused me to do research into how fudge works and I have learned a lot.
I followed your link to the recipe in the Gardian but I have questions. Firstly what is "golden syrup" ? It that corn syrup or maple syrup? Also what is demerara sugar? Is that like brown sugar (light) ? I would like to try the recipe but not sure what to use. Can you help?
I researched the sugar and the golden syrup. I might be able to get a hold of the sugar but the syrup is a different matter. I would have to make my own. I did find Youtube videos that cover how. I am tempted but there would be prep work. Saved the link in my recipe box for later if I'm ever motivated.