For fudge that’s not grainy, make sure sugar has dissolved (2024)

FAQs

For fudge that’s not grainy, make sure sugar has dissolved? ›

The trick to making “grainless” fudge is to make sure all the sugar has dissolved. My first suggestion is to get yourself a candy thermometer. Then you will be able to tell when the sugar and milk mixture reaches 234 to 240 degrees — the point at which the sugar crystals dissolve.

The key to successful, nongrainy fudge is in the cooling, not the cooking. The recipe calls for heating the ingredients to the soft-ball stage, or 234° F, then allowing it to cool undisturbed to approximately 110° F.

If you discover that your mixture is grainy, some quick thinking will save the entire batch. Pour the fudge back into your pan, and add about a cup of water to it, along with a tablespoon or two of evaporated milk, whipping cream, or whatever cream you're using.

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.

You'll likely use the spoon to stir the rest of it until the water is clear. There's likely no visible sign of the sugar. Take a sip, though, and you'll taste it. That's because the sugar molecules have split up and spread throughout the glass.

Brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush at the beginning of cooking to dissolve sugar crystals stuck to the sides. Never stir the mixture during cooking or sugar could crystallize again.

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.

Too cooked

The result is hard and brittle fudge. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 45 to 60 ml (3 or 4 tbsp.) of 35% cream and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Then let it boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:

OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.

Chewy fudge is often the result of undercooking. To fix it, you can reheat the fudge mixture over low heat and continue cooking until it reaches the proper temperature. Be sure to use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature accurately.

What not to do when making fudge? ›

Don't Substitute One for the Other

Thus, using condensed milk in a recipe that requires evaporated milk will yield an overly sweet dish.

- Increase the temperature or heat up the solution. - Stir the solvent. - Increase the surface area of the sugar. Note: Amount of solute already dissolved also affects the rate of solution, that is, when you have very little solute in the solution, dissolving takes place quickly.

It takes 10min. to dissolve in cold water, with occasional stirring. Sugar dissolves in water because energy is given off when the slightly polar sucrose molecules form intermolecular bonds with the polar water molecules. ...

When sugar is added to iced tea and some remain undissolved at the bottom of the glass, the solution is saturated. This means that no more solute can dissolve in the amount of solvent given.

Reset the fudge

Just as you read earlier you have to mix the ingredients and heat it at 234 degrees. But as you are doing it again just add a little amount of water to bring out the consistency. Along with this make sure to add moisture to make it soft.

If the chocolate icing turned grainy then it is most likely that the chocolate was overheated. Chocolate is very sensitive to heat and melts at just above body temperature. But if it gets too hot then it will turn grainy or lumpy and the fats will start to separate out.

Grainy and sugary? Not set properly? If your Scottish Tablet tastes sugary and grainy, or doesn't set, you can pop it back in the saucepan, melt it down slowly and boil it a little longer.

Follow the recipe to a tee when cooking the sugar

If it doesn't boil, your fudge will end up too mushy, and if it cooks for too long, you'll end up with a dry, crumbly mess. This is why many recipes recommend using a candy thermometer, so you know exactly when to remove your mixture from the heat.