"~steve (east tn)" > wrote in message
news
> cathy wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 00:12:56 -0500, "~steve (east tn)"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hi All:
>>>Sorry for such a newbie question, but i was 'helping' my darling wife of
>>>35 years make some fudge for the holidays. The fudge tastes great, and
>>>it is thick, but will not set up hard enough to cut and serve. we would
>>>like to have some homemade peanut butter fudge for family gatherings for
>>>the holidays.
>>>
>>>What did we do wrong?
>>>-----snip----<
>>
>>
>> You didn't cook the fudge long enough after it came to a boil. When it
>> reaches boiling, it's 212 degress (Farenheit). You need to continue
>> boiling it until it reaches about 235 degrees (Farehneit). This is the
>> soft ball stage, and pretty much the standard temperature necessary
>> when making fudge. If you Google peanut butter fudge you should find a
>> lot of recipes with the same ingredients, but more detailed
>> instructions. You might try one of those.
>>
>> Cathy
>
> Thanks for the details of how to do it right.
> we've added notes to our copy of the recipe for next batch,
> maybe tomorrow,
>
> Thanks ever so much!!
> ~steve

Steve, I second Cathy's explanation. In the old days when I was making a lot
of fudge, not cooking it long enough until it reached the right stage was
ALWAYS the reason it didn't harden. And the opposite is true, too: if you go
overboard and cook it too long and hot, it hardens so much that it flakes
and crumbles. A good candy thermometer is probably the safest way to go.

John