How Long Will Vanilla Fudge Last In Jars? Why Did it Not Reach Soft Ball Setting Stage?

Asked by lou29. Answered on 15th January 2015

Full question

Any idea how long the Vanilla Fudge will last in sterilised air tight glass jars? I was hoping to gift some as it made so much! Thank you x

I was making the Vanilla Fudge and followed the recipe, gently boiled mixture for 30mins but it still had not reached the stage of setting into a soft ball when I dropped some mixture in cold water. Please can you help? Moonshine60

Vanilla Fudge

By Nigella

Our answer

Home-made fudge, such as Nigella's Vanilla Fudge (on the Nigella website) keeps fairly well. The main risk is that it dries out and becomes a little crumbly. Fudge does not need to be stored in a sterilised jar but one with an airtight seal is a good idea. Otherwise try to use a container with a tight-fitting lid.

In a cool place the fudge will keep for about 2 weeks but you can also keep the fudge in the fridge which will extend the life for 3 to 4 weeks. Fudge can also be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. If freezing the fudge you may prefer to put pieces of baking parchment (parchment paper) in between layers of the fudge to prevent the pieces freezing together. The fudge will thaw very quickly at room temperature.

If the fudge mixture has only been gently simmered then there is a good chance that it has not reached the correct temperature for setting, even after 30 minutes. This is called soft ball stage and is reached when a sugar mixture gets to 112C/235F. So next time let the the mixture bubble away fairly briskly. If you have a batch of unset fudge then you could use it as a butterscotch sauce instead, to serve with ice cream and fruit. It will keep in the fridge for up to a month or can be frozen for up to 3 months.