How To Fix Grainy And Overcooked Fudge So It's Soft Again (2024)
Brian Udall
·2 min read
It's the holiday season, and you've made a batch of fudgefor friends and family, but you've just had a bite, and the texture is off. It tastes fine, except there's a graininess or a grittiness to the fudge that's unpleasant. Or, maybe the fudge is hard, brittle, and overcooked. The grittiness comes from sugar crystals that didn't dissolve into the fudge during the cooking process. Hard and overcooked fudge isn't great, either, but before you throw the whole pan out, try this simple trick.
For both problems, you'll need to melt the fudge back down to allow the sugar crystals to properly dissolve or to allow the overcooked fudge to soften up again. It may seem counterintuitive to cook overcooked fudge even more, but trust us, you just need to start the fudge over from scratch. Of course, if the fudge is burnt, that's a different problem, and cooking it again won't remove the burnt flavor. Grab the saucepan that you initially used to cook the fudge and toss the fudge back in along with 1 ½ cups of water and a splash of cream. Adding some cream of tartar is a helpful way to keep the sugar crystals at bay as well — it's not essential, but if you have some, definitely pour a little in. Bring the fudge to a boil slowly. You want the sugar to dissolve before it boils, so make sure the fudge is smooth before turning the heat up.
A great way to make sure your fudge is going to settle right is by using a candy thermometer. When bringing your fudge to a boil, check that the temperature reaches the ideal range of 237 to 239 F. That range will get you a pan of fudge that's in the Goldilocks zone of not too soft and not too hard. It will also help keep your fudge from becoming gritty since sugar crystals can form again if the fudge gets too hot. Overcooked fudge, which goes beyond 239 F, evaporates the water, which isn't what you want.
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It also matters how you treat the fudge after it's cooked. Avoid too much stirring while you are heating the fudge since this agitates the sugar and causes it to clump into sugar crystals again. Once it's reached 237 F, allow the fudge to cool to 110 F, and don't stir the fudge at all while it's cooling. Less is more in this case. Other than these tips, treat the fudge like you normally would, and you'll have breathed new life into your winter treat.
The solution? A fudge do-over. Even though it set up properly, I threw it back into a saucepan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and gently heated the mixture to dissolve the fudge into the water. From there, I pretty much re-did the whole cooking process.
Grab the saucepan that you initially used to cook the fudge and toss the fudge back in along with 1 ½ cups of water and a splash of cream. Adding some cream of tartar is a helpful way to keep the sugar crystals at bay as well — it's not essential, but if you have some, definitely pour a little in.
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.
This fudge was cooked to a temperature of 118 °C (244 °F). At this temperature, the sugar is too concentrated and there is not enough water left to form syrup around sugar crystals. The result is hard and brittle fudge.
You can start by gently reheating it and boiling or cooking it again, aiming to reach the correct temperature. Alternatively, using short bursts in the microwave and stirring between intervals until it thickens can also be an effective method to restore its texture.
The solution? A fudge do-over. Even though it set up properly, I threw it back into a saucepan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and gently heated the mixture to dissolve the fudge into the water. From there, I pretty much re-did the whole cooking process.
You should mix the cream, butter, and sugar when making your fudge, but put down the spoon once it has reached its boiling point. Stirring while your sugar mixture is boiling will only form sugar crystals and make your fudge crunchy rather than silky smooth.
If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).
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.
It could be that your fudge is overcooked and this causes the sugar to harden. A sugar thermometer will help you to check it reaches the correct temperature which is the soft ball stage at 112 to 116 °C (234 to 241 °F). If it exceeds this, it is heading for a much chewier consistency.
OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).
If you don't heat your fudge to a high enough temperature, you'll end up with a soft product. And if you heat the mixture too much, your fudge may be harder than you'd like.
The ratio of chocolate to condensed milk needs to be just right, otherwise you might end up with fudge that is too soft or too hard. Do not freeze the fudge to set it. Best way is to just be patient for a couple hours and set it in the fridge. If your fudge hasn't set, then you've gone wrong somewhere else.
Harden the fudge: Place your container or tins in the fridge for 2 hours, which is the time it takes for the fudge to set. Once it's hardened, cut the fudge into 12 pieces or remove it from the muffin tins. Store in the fridge or the freezer (if you don't devour it right away).
This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool. Heat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring well between each to ensure everything is melting evenly.
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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