Fudge is a type of confectionery, usually extremely rich and often flavored. It is made by boiling sugar in milk to the soft-ball stage, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency.

American folk lore has it that fudge was invented in the United States more than 100 years ago. The exact origin is disputed, but most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from a bungled batch of caramels made on February 14, 1886—hence the name "fudge."

One of the first documentations of fudge is found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote that her schoolmate's cousin made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 and sold it for 40 cents a pound. Miss Hartridge got hold of the fudge recipe, and in 1888, made 30 pounds (14 kg) of this delicious fudge for the Vassar Senior Auction. Word spread of this great confection to other women's colleges. (Wellesley and Smith have their own versions of this fudge recipe.)

The most basic type of crystalline candy is called a fondant. This is formed by supersaturating sucrose (table sugar) in water. The water can only absorb a limited amount of sucrose at a given temperature, by raising the temperature of the liquid; we allow the water to absorb more sucrose. Then, after the sucrose is dissolved, we allow the solution to cool and the sugar will remain dissolved in the solution, but not forever. If, while the solution is supersaturated, a seed crystal (undissolved sucrose) falls into the mix, or the solution is agitated, that will set off a chain reaction causing the dissolved sucrose to form large, crunchy crystals. If, however, the solution is allowed to cool and then stirred furiously, violently mixing the entire mixture, it will form many tiny crystals that form a smooth texture.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to keep all vibrations and seed crystals from contaminating the solution. That is why we take out an insurance policy in the form of fat and cornstarch. The cornstarch contains glucose, fructose, and maltose. These are all types of sugar. The new sugars interfere with the sucrose molecules. They help prevent premature crystallization by getting in the way preventing the contact of the crystals. The fat also helps lubricate the sucrose, keeping it apart.

One of the most important parts of any candy making is the correct temperature. The temperature is what separates Peanut Brittle from fudge. The higher the peak temperature, the more sugar is dissolved, more water is evaporated; resulting in a higher sugar to water ratio. Before the availability of cheap and accurate thermometers, cooks would use the ice water test to determine the saturation of the candy. When a spoonful of the solution is drizzled into a glass of chilled water, the mixture behaves very differently at different temperature levels. From 230-234 Thread; 235-240 Soft Ball; 245-250 Firm Ball; 260-265 Hard Ball; 270-290 Soft Crack; 300-310 Hard Crack; 320-350 Caramel. Fudge is made at the Firm Ball stage (235-240).

Some people atempt to make fudge using marshmallow cream. This is not real fudge. It may make a tasty treat, but it is using the structure of the marshmalow for support instead of relying on the sucrose crystals. It is not real fudge.

Mackinac Island and other tourist cities in Northern Michigan are famed for making slab fudge - so named because the liquid ingredients are poured out onto large marble slabs for hand working- , and Mackinac Island holds a "Fudge Festival" on the fourth week of August. Fudge is also sold in many other resorts throughout the United States, and is a staple of shopping-mall confectioners.

In the UK traditional English fudge has become synonymous with Devon & Cornwall and is traditionally made in a basic range. Since 1983 Jim Garrahy's Fudge Kitchen Ltd have brought over the slab fudge method and produce fudge in 8 locations and by mail order in over 20 flavours.

Often used as a replacement for an expletive. Such as "Oh fudge!" or "Fudge that!"

References

External links

• Fudge Recipe
• Pure Fudge

Confectionery | Desserts | American desserts

Dulce de azúcar | Fudge | פאדג' | Toffee