Can you can fudge?

[pcrowder]

I made some at Christmas – it didn’t set up 100% (first time ever). (Not runny like chocolate syrup, but not “firm” either). It is the old “marshmallow cream, sugar, butter, chocolate chips, walnuts, evap milk”, boil for 4 mins recipe. I doubled the batch, which I’d never done before, so maybe that’s why it didn’t set up. Everyone here is SO burned out on sweets that they can’t stand to look at it, much less eat it, and I’m insulin dependent diabetic, so I’m not supposed to have the stuff anyway. Does anyone know if I could can it up in half pint jars, and use it as a THICK frosting on cakes, or maybe ice cream “hot fudge” topping later in the spring/summer? It has everything in it that can be canned, but wasn’t sure if water bathing would do it or if I had to pressure can it. Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I have ½ a plastic canister full of it, and I’m sick to death of looking at it, but with the cost of all the ingredients, I refuse to toss it!

[Shamrock1121]

I'd suggest freezing it in user-friendly amounts. *There are recipes out there for "canned fudge sauce" (which has similar ingredients to fudge), but the National Center for Home Food Preservation say it's not safe to can it because it's low-acid, and therefore at risk for botulism food poisoning.

Call your County Extension Office and see if they have any suggestions.

-Karen

[pcrowder]

I'm trying to avoid freezing it at all costs - we live in a VERY rural area, and are prone to outages in winter...that's why I'm trying to keep from freezing much of anything except the deer meat..We lost an ENTIRE BEEF because the outlet the freezer was on died, and we hadn't been to the basement in a week to know it failed...A horrible mess and a HORRIBLE waste of $$$$$... I was thinking it would be ok to water bath it, because it is SO full of sugar ....

[Shamrock1121]

I'm trying to avoid freezing it at all costs - we live in a VERY rural area, and are prone to outages in winter...that's why I'm trying to keep from freezing much of anything except the deer meat..We lost an ENTIRE BEEF because the outlet the freezer was on died, and we hadn't been to the basement in a week to know it failed...A horrible mess and a HORRIBLE waste of $$$$$... I was thinking it would be ok to water bath it, because it is SO full of sugar ....

It's not about the amount of sugar, it's about being low acid - and not knowing that could make for a deadly canning mistake. Just as you can't use a water bath canning method for canning meat because it's low-acid.

Rule #1 in home-canning: ONLY USE TESTED RECIPES.
Rule #2: DON'T ALTER INGREDIENTS OR AMOUNTS OF INGREDIENTS of tested recipes or you can throw off the pH (not enough acid).

You have no idea how much processing it would take to kill bacteria because this isn't a tested recipe. Just because a jar is sealed after a water bath only means just that - it's sealed. It can also be sealing bacteria inside from under-processing the food and low-acid foods. Thick foods take more processing because it takes heat longer to penetrate. Higher altitudes require more processing. Once the bacteria has a chance to grow (which it quickly can do in an anarobic state - without oxygen - in a sealed jar), it will become a toxin, and THAT's what will cause food poisoning.

You sound like a good candidate for a gas-powered generator. It's a shame about the loss of all that meat. Most home insurance will cover food loss in freezers/refrigerators from power outages.

-Karen

[pcrowder]

Karen- Thanks for the advice! Think I'll just stick it in 1/2 pint jars, and pawn them off on all the unsuspecting neighbors I can find!!! Also, we have a very large propane generator, but unfortunately, it was the circuit that the freezer was on that failed, and since the circuit box is waaay in the darkest corner of the basement, and the only other things on it are outlets that are rarely used, we didn't notice it until we went to get some beef out of the freezer. Yes, it was a HORRIBLE loss...That is why I bought a circuit alarm on EBay to prevent such losses again. I guess when the power goes out it sends out a loud alarm, which we should be able to hear from the main floor. Sure hope so! And of course, the outlet hasn't failed since then! ;)
Thanks again for the advice!
Pat

[cheyenne]

I don;t know anything about canning fudge, but I DO remember my mother boiling a can of sweetened condendsed milk and opening it later to the sweetest caramel you've ever had.

She said that's what they used to do in WW2 to family members overseas. It keeps a loooong time, doesn't get destroyed in the mail. I know you have to be careful how long you boil it, but I don't know how long it takes...

[theresehirko]

I make dulce de leche all of the time. It's really easy. If you have a crock pot, put the can in the crock pot and fill the crock pot with water to cover the can and then some. Turn it on low and let cook for 10 hours. If you are cooking a big pot of beans or tomato sauce or an all day soup pot, take the label off of the can and wash the can well. Put it in the pot with your ingredients and let it cook with the pot. It will keep for months if you don't open the can. Once you open it ice cream, pound cake, right out of the can on a spoon, etc.