Burnt fudge - what's going wrong?

[sophy]

My 2nd attempt at making fudge properly, with sugar thermometer an all.

Burnt it again, although stirred the saucepan like crazy.

Still tastes amazing, but what am I doing wrong?

you burnt it, thats what has gone wrong!

Yes but how do I stop it burning?

Do I need a better more expensive saucepan?

no. just go and buy the fudge

bollock I promise you you cannot buy anything as delicious as this despite its burntness.

Might you be heating it too fast?
A heavy bottomed pan is best, some people use the copper bottomed ones.

Could be cuddly. Was under the impression you have to heat it under really high temperature or it never gets to the setting point.
It was on the hot plate of teh Aga which is very hot, so hot I only usually use it for boiling water.

You are using an Aga... hmm, let me think back to when I worked with one of those. I think you have to start off on the simmer plate, to slowly melt the sugar. Then put on boiling plate to boil, then once at temperature, transfer to simmer plate. You may need to go back and forth a bit to maintain the temperature at ideal fudge making point (can't recall the temperature - see your sugar thermometer). Oh and stir it all the time when on boiling plate, to try to prevent it burning.
Good luck - At least you have a sugar thermometer. I haven't got one at the moment, so use a teaspoon and a glass of cold water!

You could also try half-putting the pan on the boil plate and stir all the time, then you just need to move it over a little when the temperature drops too much to reheat.
Aga's are such fun... I actually miss cooking on an Aga.

When it boils and froths up to about double the volume, I keep mine so that the surface looks like it is simmering rather than bursting bubbles. If that makes sense. It is hard to regulate on an Aga though.