Fudge Too Soft

My fudge is too soft when I take it out of the refrigerator. Is it that I have used condensed milk instead of evaporated?

By Lisa from Dorset, UK

Answers:

Fudge Too Soft

Either you've added too much liquid or not cooked it long enough. There is "fudge repair' though you can try - All you do is add the liquid ingredients to a heavy pan and then the fudge - be it too hard or too soft and then recook it. Definitely use a candy thermometer and watch it closely.

It is important to use a candy thermometer though and elevation can greatly effect how quickly it boils and the temperature it will rise. So if you are using a recipe that says "boil 5 min" that is probably the problem.

Another thing (we are retired military so have lived all over the 'States) and I noticed in very humid or moist areas like N Carolina, Alabama that instead of adding marshmallow creme the fudge turned out better if I substituted regular marshmallows. Keep the oz. the same. :) I would not put candy in refrigerator, good luck. (03/16/2010)

By kathleen williams

Fudge Too Soft

Evaporated milk and condensed milk are the same. However, there is a sweetened form in one of them. I can't remember which one it is, My family always called the plain canned milk, condensed milk, and I was really surprised when I grew up and heard other people referring to it as evaporated milk. (03/16/2010)

By Joan

Fudge Too Soft

Evaporated is milk reduced by half; that is if you want it the strength of regular milk, add the same amount of water; I'm not talking for fudge.

Condensed is even more concentrated than evaporated, so even though they are both milk, they are usually used differently, and are not interchangeable for cooking.It is sweeter, partly because of the concentration, which concentrates the milk sugar in milk, but I think sugar is added as well.
Condensed is usually used for desert type recipes.

I can't say why your recipe didn't work well, because I don't know the recipe, but if it indeed called for the milk you actually used, probably didn't get cooked
long enough, if it was the cooking kind of fudge.
I would also think moisture/humidity of the air the day you made it might have affected it.

I love fudge, could eat a pound all by myself, but have never had much luck. (03/17/2010)

By PENNY K

Fudge Too Soft

Condensed milk is sweetened, evaporated isn't. They aren't interchangeable. That fudge is probably really sweet and the extra sugar (from the condensed milk) may have affected the texture and made it too soft. (03/17/2010)

By susan winship

Fudge Too Soft

Hi Lisa:
Yes, I am sure its because you used condensed milk instead of evaporated. As you probably know - they are not the same. Condensed milk has too much sugar for fudge, especially if the recipe already called for sugar. Try it again with evaporated milk and I'm sure you will be successful. (03/18/2010)

By Joan