Sugar crystals in fudge??

[SlowCook66]

Hello folks!

No matter what I try I always see little sugar crystals in my fudge. When I eat it it’s creamy and tasty but every two or three chews I feel a sugar crystal on my teeth as I bite down.

I read countless articles and watched countless videos on this topic and I do everything as they say and no luck for me>>Always crystals

Maybe someone here can detect something I’m doing wrong in my process:

I start by heating up some water and corn syrup in a pot. I then add in some dark chocolate chips and then add some cocoa powder and keep on mixing. When everything is well dissolved I proceed to add the sugar and continue stirring so the sugar dissolves. When all is dissolved I put a lid on it and let it come to a boil and leave it boil for 3 min. This should wash up the sides of the pot.

I then take off the lid and add the butter and the evaporated milk and stir for the last time. I slowly introduce my digital thermometer and I let the mixture heat up to about 115C without any stirring.

When the mixture reached 115C I set the pot aside and let it cool down. I’ve tried to let it cool down to 75C, 70C, 65C, 60C, 55C and even 45C and no matter the cool down target temperature I choose, the result of my fudge always ends up having very tiny sugar crystals in it

Once the mixture cooled down, I transfer the fudge from the pot onto a glass bowl and then beat the fudge with an egg beater. Basically the beating time depends on the cool down temperature I’ve chosen. So the lower the cool down temperature, the less time I could beat it. Here’s a legend:

Cool down 75C > Beat ~ 10min
….
Cool down 45C > Beat ~ 1min

I then pour in pan and let it set. No matter what cool down times or beat times I choose, Mr crystal always ends up in my fudge

Does anyone have any recommendations or information as to why I can’t get rid of sugar crystals in my fudge ??

Thanking you all in advance

Roberto

 

[dragnlaw]

After the pot boils and "washes" down the sides, are you scraping the sides when you stir it?
Don't touch the sides, that is when you are incorporating the crystals back in.

 

[Aunt Bea]

It may not be the sugar.

It could be impurities in the sugar, or one of the other ingredients, that are released when the ingredients dissolve in the boiling liquid.

I would toss in a handful of walnuts and enjoy the fudge.

You could experiment with a batch using a different brand of sugar or a quick dissolving ultra fine granulated bar sugar to see if it makes a difference.

Then I would go down the list of the other ingredients and try different brands until you find the culprit.

 

[SlowCook66]

After the pot boils and "washes" down the sides, are you scraping the sides when you stir it?
Don't touch the sides, that is when you are incorporating the crystals back in.

Yes I do. But this guy does it????????

Why can’t we ???

 

[dragnlaw]

and have you ever eaten any of his fudge?

and do you use liquid glucose?

and do you have vats that size?

 

[SlowCook66]

It may not be the sugar.

It could be impurities in the sugar, or one of the other ingredients, that are released when the ingredients dissolve in the boiling liquid.

I would toss in a handful of walnuts and enjoy the fudge.

You could experiment with a batch using a different brand of sugar or a quick dissolving ultra fine granulated bar sugar to see if it makes a difference.

Then I would go down the list of the other ingredients and try different brands until you find the culprit.

Could it be the lemon salt?

Also I read somewhere that in the cool down stage (before the kneading) to put the pot in a bigger pot of cold water so it cools faster. The chemistry behind this is that the longer the mixture takes to cool down the more seeding the crystals do. So shortening the cool down time should make seeding of big crystals more difficult. I don’t know if this can be an issue based on your experience?

Also some articles say outing fudge after kneading right away in the fridge to paralyze any further seeding as quickly as possible during the setting stage. Could this be it?

Thanks so much for replying

 

[SlowCook66]

and have you ever eaten any of his fudge?

and do you use liquid glucose?

and do you have vats that size?

No I have never eaten his fudge. And I use corn syrup! Should I be using glucose syrup ? Corn syrups and liquid glucose don’t they have the same melting effects ?

I cut down the recipe by 5.6 times at the sugar level so 5 cups of sugar .

6 quarts of sugar = 5676 g.
5 cups = 1000g sugar
5676/1000 = 5.6

The mixture with 5 cups of sugar is good for my batch size !

I don’t divide ll my ingredients by 5.6 for example corn syrup would give me around 250g which would make my fudge way too soft !

I need help !

Thanks for replying

 

[dragnlaw]

SlowCook, we are not commercial candy makers. I think the only person(s) who could possibly give a definitive answer would be one. Or the companies who sell the equipment.

 

[SlowCook66]

After the pot boils and "washes" down the sides, are you scraping the sides when you stir it?
Don't touch the sides, that is when you are incorporating the crystals back in.

How can you be incorporating crystals back in that are residing on the sides when you just washed the sides which now have no crystals???

 

[dragnlaw]

Because no matter how it looks... they are there.

 

[SlowCook66]

Because no matter how it looks... they are there.

So you’re saying wash out the sides really well and then never touch the sides anymore with the spatula right?

Then cook til 115C and then cool down until 45C and then scoop out into bowl and start mixing right?


>>>>But the last batch I made I covered it with a lid which got rid of all the crystals on the side and then never touched it again and still got crystals ….

 

[dragnlaw]

Well, by now you seem to have made enough fudge to last thru Christmas 2027. Why don't you just rest on your laurels and enjoy what you have.

 

[SlowCook66]

Hi Dragnlaw, I throw it away I can’t eat all that fudge.

But hey I’ve done another batch. I removed all spices. I boiled it with lid and then wiped the sides and didn’t touch the sides ever again. I cooked it to 114.8C and let it cool down to 50C. Finally no sugar crystals this time. Quite impressed see attachment. Tastes really good and melts in your mouth and didn’t feel any sugar crystals on my teeth. Quite firm but I’d like it a little harder.

What should I do to make the fudge a little firmer/harder:

1) Reduce the corn starch
2) Reduce the evaporated milk
3) Increase the cooking temp to 116C
4) Let it cool to 45C instead of 50C
5) Or a combination of the above (please specify)

Thanks for your help

 

[dragnlaw]

I have no idea.
But now you must consider this. Not every time you make it, is it exactly the same. When you've made the fudge the same way and gotten the same results every time, then you can consider changing something in either your method or ingredients. Just because something didn't work the first time, doesn't mean the exact same thing won't work the next time.

Also, and this is a plea, you live in Montreal, consider giving your cast-offs to the church (any church!) or downtown to the homeless. Save it all up and take bunches down . It's candy, it will keep! I can guarantee they won't give a poo-poo if there are crystals, softness, chewiness, etc. It will be a delight that they cannot afford.
and here's a poke to your conscience, if you can afford to throw it away, you can also afford to buy some extra wax paper to wrap up and bags from the $ $tore, to take them in. They can do with the extra calories.
Oops, sorry, I'll get off the box now...

 

[larry_stewart]

Years back I got a tour and hands-on chocolate lesson from Jaques Torres, a well know chocolatier in NYC. I don't remember much of what we talked about, but I do remember there are different quality chocolates. The higher quality temper better and easier to reduce or eliminate crystallization. I remember he gave me a bunch of the chocolate that he uses. That all I got. Too long ago and my memory isn't what its used to be.

 

[SlowCook66]

I have no idea.
But now you must consider this. Not every time you make it, is it exactly the same. When you've made the fudge the same way and gotten the same results every time, then you can consider changing something in either your method or ingredients. Just because something didn't work the first time, doesn't mean the exact same thing won't work the next time.

Also, and this is a plea, you live in Montreal, consider giving your cast-offs to the church (any church!) or downtown to the homeless. Save it all up and take bunches down . It's candy, it will keep! I can guarantee they won't give a poo-poo if there are crystals, softness, chewiness, etc. It will be a delight that they cannot afford.
and here's a poke to your conscience, if you can afford to throw it away, you can also afford to buy some extra wax paper to wrap up and bags from the $ $tore, to take them in. They can do with the extra calories.
Oops, sorry, I'll get off the box now...

Ok Dragnlaw, I heard you loud and clear …. Yes for sure I will look for the organization for the poor and give it away ….

Thanks for your help much appropriate

 

[Kathleen]

I would try dissolving the sugar in water first and then add the corn syrup, and then melt the chips and add cocoa last.

 

[SlowCook66]

Exactly what I did and it worked thanks

 

[AndyTorkelson]

Hey there! I totally get your frustration with those persistent sugar crystals in your fudge. Your detailed process is impressive, but let's troubleshoot together. Have you considered adjusting the cooling time or experimenting with different chocolate types? Sometimes, subtle tweaks can make a big difference. Fudge-making can be a bit finicky, but we'll figure this out!

 

[SlowCook66]

Hey Andy, I appreciate your good will to help.

I’ve done this recipe many many times and there is 4 reasons why I adopted the easier microwave sweetened condensed milk way instead.

1) This recipe is complicated and long. From start to finish it takes at least 2-3 hours (with the cool down and everything)
2) There is always a weird smell that’s seeps out of the fudge. I think this comes from the cocoa powder
3) Using composites like chocolate etc…. Means that everything is perfectly balanced as opposed to trying to figure out the right ratios between butter and cocoa powder to sugars.
4) It now takes me 10 min to make a full batch. I’ve added a certain ingredient and oils that make my fudge a very original taste. And so in a day I can furnish a couple of stores including my Amazon store.

And so now my fudge is perfect every time with great taste and no weird smell.

It’s one thing making fudge for the family Christmas supper and hoping for the best and another when commercializing it.

I’m happy with my finished product as may have given it 9.5 on 10

Thanks so much for your time and help.