"Reg" > wrote in message
et...
> King's Crown wrote:
>
>> I've tried over the years to make real Chocolate Fudge. The main problem
>> has been the crystals. This year I was watching Alton Brown and he
>> walked the viewer through making fudge. I thought I followed the recipe
>> to a T, but I have weird crumbly fudge. It took a really long time to
>> get the thermometer to register 234 degrees and I wonder if I cooked it
>> too long. I kept checking to make sure the thermometer wasn't touching
>> the bottom of the pan and yet was well into the chocolate mixture. I was
>> wondering if there was an approximate time it should take the mixture to
>> the soft ball stage.
>
> Don't know it it was overcooked. You could have undercooked
> it, too.
>
> In any case, have you calibrated your thermometer? Either
> measuse boiling water and make sure it reads 212F/100C at
> sea level, or, measure ice water and make sure it reads
> 32F/0C.
>
> Also, I always make sure I have more than one thermo
> at hand. They're cheap, and if you have more than
> one you can quickly cross check things. They dp break,
> even the expensive ones. Usually right at the worst
> possible time.
>
> --
> Reg

Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was wondering how
to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done and after
45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was trying the old
school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This batch though
seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this right. Keep the
tips coming.

Lynne