Can Fudge Be Remelted? (As well as why you would want to)

Who doesn’t like fudge? Even when it’s gritty, runny, or otherwise wrong, fudge is excellent. Continue reading if you want to know whether you can remelt fudge to mend it.

Fudge Facts

Fondant is essentially a kind of fudge. Fondant is made up of microscopic sugar crystals surrounded by sugar syrup at its most basic.

That’s not very intriguing, and most fondant has flavor, color, or other components for taste and texture. Fudge is created by adding dairy (or other fat) and other flavorings to basic fondant.

Boiling sugar until it reaches the soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit). After adding butter and other flavorings, the fudge is chilled and beaten until it achieves the required consistency.

Fudge is smooth and creamy in texture, with little sugar crystals throughout. Before the fudge has completely hardened, you may add nuts and other ingredients.

Chocolate fudge is by far the most popular kind of fudge in the United States, although fudge and fudge-like confections are available in a variety of tastes. People all throughout the globe enjoy:

• Krwki (small cows): a semi-soft milk-based Polish confection.
• Penuche: a kind of fudge prepared with brown sugar rather than white sugar.
• Barfi is a rich Indian sweet composed of boiled milk and sugar, often with coconut, carrots, fruits, or nuts added.
• or bourbon Tablet: a Scottish dessert made of sugar, condensed milk, butter, and generally vanilla and almond extract.

Fudge History

Although fondant and other fudgy desserts have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, American-style chocolate fudge sprang to prominence at women’s schools in the late 1800s.

Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a Vassar student, took a recipe from a classmate’s relative and made 30 pounds of fudge for the senior class auction. It’s difficult to conceive of a population more suited to spreading the love than college women, and plenty of fudge was made in Vassar dorm rooms over gas lamps.

Students at other institutions quickly heard about Vassar fudge, and the delicious confection spread beyond campus. Fudge businesses quickly proliferated in vacation destinations and tourist cities.

Visitors and locals alike enjoyed seeing the fudge being produced in copper kettles and poured onto marble slabs, and high-end confectionery makes a great keepsake. Fudge shops were a part of the American experience by the end of the nineteenth century.

The custom is still practiced today. Mackinac Island (Michigan), a popular tourist site where the whole island is classified as a National Historic Landmark, has over a dozen fudge businesses, at least one of which dates back to the late 1880s, and conducts an annual Fudge Festival.

Making Fudge

Fudge, as previously said, is prepared from sugar and fat. This fat is often butter, however vegan fudge may be made using coconut oil or other plant-based fats.

After adding chocolate or other flavorings, the fudge is chilled and whipped until it achieves the appropriate consistency. Everyone who has had fudge before will recall the sensation of the small crystals in a creamy, silky foundation.

The texture is the distinguishing feature of fudge, yet it is also very difficult to create. There are several things that may go wrong while making fudge.

If the sugar mixture crystallizes, generally as a result of splashing over the edges of the pan, the fudge will seize and become significantly grainier than desirable.

If the sugar mixture does not become hot enough (to the soft-ball stage), the resultant fudge will not solidify when it cools. It may also be quite sticky.

The butter will separate if the sugar mixture becomes too hot. When the fudge has hardened, it will have an oily coating on top.

If the fudge is undercooked, not enough water will evaporate. Your fudge will not entirely set and will be quite soft.

Too much water will evaporate if the fudge is overcooked. Your fudge will be firm, crumbly, and dry.

If you begin pounding the fudge before it has completely cooled, it will seize. The necessary smooth, creamy texture will not be obtained.

If you overbeat the fudge, it will become rock-hard as it cools.

What to Do with Fudge That Doesn’t Set

Failing fudge will still taste fudgy, which is always a good thing. If your fudge does not firm up completely or partly, it will still be rich and wonderful!

If you’ve run out of patience and don’t want to deal with your fudge any longer, just reheat it gently and serve it over ice cream. Hot fudge sundaes are legendary for a reason; it doesn’t get much better than this!

Put the unsuccessful fudge over graham crackers and top with a roasted marshmallow for a smores sandwich!

Since it’s consisting of sugar, butter, and chocolate, your botched fudge may also serve as the foundation for an exceptionally delectable pan of brownies. Stir in one egg, a half-cup of flour, and a half-cup of milk to make two cups (one pound) of unset fudge, then bake in a greased pan.

Can You Remelt Fudge?

Yes! Remelting fudge is another method for repairing a batch of fudge that hasn’t fully set or has turned out hard, brittle, or too gritty.

Return the fudge to a heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in one and a half cups of water (for a standard 8x 8 pan of fudge; adjust as necessary).

Stir continually over low heat until the fudge is melted. Take care with both the heat and the stirring.

Adjust the flavorings as the fudge melts. Since you added water, you will most likely need to add more flavor to the fudge.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook it until it reaches the soft-ball stage.

Stir the fudge just once. To prevent the sugars from crystallizing, use a damp pastry brush to wipe down the edges of the pan (see above).

Remove the fudge from the heat after it has achieved the desired temperature. Let it to cool to 113 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

As suggested, beat the cooled fudge. You want to beat it until it loses its luster and begins to thicken, but not too much. Pour the fudge to a prepared pan and let aside to cool. This time, perhaps it will work perfectly!

Pro Tips for Making Fudge

These are a few things to keep in mind while creating fudge, whether you’re starting from scratch or remelting a bad batch.

• On a wet day, avoid making fudge. When it attempts to set up, the candy may actually collect moisture from the air.
• Use a large pot. Sugar burns quickly in a narrow saucepan with uneven heat distribution.
• Since the fudge mixture may get quite thick, use robust wooden or silicone spatulas.
• Monitor the temperature using a candy thermometer. Check to see whether your thermometer is correctly calibrated.
• When the fudge has reached a boil and all of the sugar has been dissolved, do not stir it.
• As the fudge loses its gloss and begins to thicken, stop beating it.