fudge makers - advice sought

[peanutbutter]

i've been making fudge since last year, following the condensed milk recipe, and it always goes swimmingly except today it didn't.

Upon starting to boil, I noticed there were loads of grains in the mixture. By the time it had reached soft ball stage it was really grainy. I poured it out just to see really, and it just seemed really dried out - much paler than usual and just - well incredibly dry is the best way to describe it. i'd promised this to a friend so had to get started on another batch, using exactly the same ingredients, which has turned out fine. What could it have been?

Also - I sometimes get lumps of what must be burnt sugar; dark golden brown and hard but i can never work out why it happens sometimes and not others... Can anyone help?

I'm no pro, but is it possible that it was crystals forming due to temperature drop? Maybe you lost some heat?

Just had a look online, it seems you shouldn't start to boil the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved else crystals forms.

"6. Stir constantly (back and forth, not round and round), until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Bring up to simmering but do not let boil. (This is vital. The sugar must fully dissolve before you let it go to a boil. If the sugar doesn't dissolve, it will recrystallise.)"

here

that's interesting mum2funkydude. i always stir and stir over a low heat until i'm sure all the sugar grains are completley dissolved but i don't usually check up the sides of the pan - your link says if there's crystals there then that'll make many more inside the fudge mixture.

well i never. thanks for that

Was it really horrid though? that lovely fudge from lakeland is very dry but lush, DH says its an irish thing (butter tablet or something?)

nah, it was just dry and crumbly - definitely not lush. it's all in the bin now.

Shame

It was grainy because the sugar hadn't completely dissolved before it came to the boil. Did you stir it all the time - fudge seems to need constant stirring?