The history of fudge: Did a mistake create a sweet treat? (2024)

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The history of fudge: Did a mistake create a sweet treat? ›

Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.

The exact origin and inventor of this delicious confection are hotly debated. However, many believe the first batch of fudge was created by accident when American bakers “fudged” a batch of caramels. Hence the name “fudge.”

Fudge's story began in the United States around the 1880s. The first documented instance of fudge being made was at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York when a student named Emelyn Battersby Hartridge heard of a fudge recipe and made 30 pounds of it for a senior auction.

As Mackinac Island evolved from a center of fur trade into a summer resort destination, Victorian-era vacationers began to identify the island with sweets. At first, the most common candy was maple sugar harvested by Native Americans. Other treats, including fudge, soon followed.

It's largely speculated that, somewhere in America, a homemade batch of caramel was ”fudged” (not a pun, although very apt) and went horribly wrong leading to a result that was terribly and deliciously right.

That appetite for fudge dates back more than a century. Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.

Tarte Tatin

This upside-down French dessert was stumbled upon in a hotel owned by two sisters in the 19th Century. When making an apple tart, one of the sisters accidentally over-cooked the apples. To rescue it and disguise the error, she popped the pastry over the top. Et voilà – a dessert favourite was born!

Mackinac Island Fudge – The Best Fudge on Earth.

Some people mistakenly believe that fudge is a British invention. There are versions of fudge in the Midlands region of England as well as in Scotland. However, even the most well-known fudge maker in Britain likes to set the record straight by clarifying that fudge is a uniquely American invention!

In 1887, Mackinac Island's first candy shop opened as Murdick's Candy Kitchen. Henry Murdick continued to make sails in the back of the building, while up front, Rome crafted fudge using his mother's recipe.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.

If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).

Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:

OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.

The most loved and delicious dessert – eskimo ice cream (ice cream on a stick) was invented by accident. In 1905 year, an 11 year old Frank Eperson mixed soda, juice and water in a cup and accidentally left it with a spoon inside on a cold winter day.

If your fudge turned out super sticky, or it didn't set as it cooled, it probably never got hot enough.

Most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from an accident with a bungled (“fudged”) batch of caramels, when the sugar was allowed to recrystallize; hence the name from the interjection, “Oh fudge!”