June 16 is National Fudge Day

Fudge Candy

Chocolate fudge candy is an American original, thought to have first been introduced in the late 1800s.  The story of the recipe was found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a Vassar College student, who wrote about a candy recipe she received from a schoolmate's cousin in Baltimore. Emerlyn, along with a group of Vassar girls, used the recipe to make the fudge to sell at the  Vassar College Senior Auction. It was popular there for many years.  

Later, shopkeepers on Mackinac Island in Michigan made their version of fudge for summer visitors and it is still produced in some of the original shops on Mackinac Island to this day.

What is Fudge?

Fudge is a soft candy.  Most fudge is prepared with sugar, butter, milk and your favorite flavor (such as chocolate... yum). Some recipes use water instead of milk or cream and some types of fudge are made using white corn syrup.

My Favorite Fudge Recipe

 

Scanned page from my Candy Cookbook

My favorite fudge recipe is called Fudge Drops Supreme.  It comes from a 1958 publication by the editors of Good Housekeeping Magazine.  As a young cook, I collected the series of cook 'booklets' that were published then, each on a different food group. From the 'Candy Booklet' came the fudge recipe I've used exclusively for my fudge-making, as I love it best of all fudge I've had. I ALWAYS make this recipe at Christmastime and often use it for gifts to friends and family who (also) love fudge best of all candies. I think it's the 'cocoa' and 'butter' that makes it taste so good!  Since it is hard to read the recipe in the small image of the scanned cookbook, I have written the recipe out below:

Source: Amazon

Fudge Drops Supreme

(Makes 3-1/2 dozen)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine, but I think butter tastes best)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped toasted almonds (or nut of your choice - I like walnuts best in my fudge)

Instructions:

In 2-qt. saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and water.  Over low heat, bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.  If using candy thermometer, set in place.  Add the butter; cook to 234 degrees F, or until a little mixture in cold water forms soft ball.  Remove from heat; cool to 130 degrees F, or until outside of saucepan feels lukewarm to hand.  Add vanilla extract and nuts.  Beat until creamy.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.  

*Author Note:  Actually, I don't make this fudge recipe into 'drops'. Instead, I pour the finished fudge into a square 8 x 8 inch pan and cut it up as most fudge recipes are done.  Takes less time than the 'drop' method .... and tastes just as good! But the 'drops' are fun for kids to help with.

 

Kinds of Fudge

 

Chocolate fudge has become a favorite, but there are other types too, depending upon what flavoring you add to the recipe.  There's chocolate chip fudge, marshmallow fluff fudge, fudge with fruit such as cranberries or orange, nutty fudge, peppermint fudge, butterscotch fudge and many, many more. You could add just about any flavoring you desire to a basic fudge recipe.

Cynthia Sylvestermouse shares her mom's favorite fudge recipe - Peanut Butter Fudge.

 

More Candy Days

 

There are several other Fudge Days, such as Nutty Fudge Day on May 12 and Peanut Butter Fudge Day on November 20. There are also many chocolate candy and other candy days throughout the year.  Read a fun list of candy days you can celebrate at June is National Candy Month.

 

Fudge Day

Celebrate Fudge Day on June 16 - and anytime you wish all year long - with a piece (or a pound) of this delicious confectionery, a popular favorite among candy lovers.

(c) Wednesday Elf - June 2016




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

National Fish & Chips Day

"Fish & Chips" Day is celebrated each year on the first Friday in June. 

 

Fish And Chips poster by DoodlesGifts
 

The history of this holiday comes from Great Britain.  In the late 1800s, trawl fishing became a major part of the industry in the North Sea, making fresh fish available all over, including inland and within the cities. It became known as a meal of the working class, because being 'easily available' meant 'cheaper'.  And being a high caloric meal meant it was filling for the  workers who held physically demanding jobs.

Today fish & chips is popular all over, including in Canada where it is frequently sold from ‘Chip Wagons’, and throughout the USA.

Fish & Chips …. without Chips?

 

Source: Pixabay

I recently went out to lunch with a friend. I ordered fish & chips and the waitress rattled off a long list of 'sides' of which I heard almost none (she talked too fast and not understandably so). Therefore, I just said 'coleslaw', which was the only word I actually heard and a dish I enjoy with fish.

When my order came, the plate had fish and coleslaw and NO French fries (chips). I said 'where's the 'chips' and she said, well that was included in your choice of a 'side' and you said 'coleslaw'.  What?! Wouldn't you assume that if you ordered a menu item that stated 'fish & chips', you'd get the French fries with it and the coleslaw or other choice would be the side?

The waitress ended up bringing me a plate of 'free' French fries for the misunderstanding, but I think she entirely missed the point. One doesn't order 'fish & chips' and get only 'fish'. Huh! :-)

Celebrate Fish and Chip Day

So, as you can see, a good way to celebrate this day is naturally by having a platter of fish & chips - order some up from your favorite restaurant (or 'Chipper' in England) or make it yourself at home. Serve with some tarter sauce (popular in America) or with a bit of mayonnaise (in Canada). 

Available on Amazon

After enjoying your dinner, finish up your evening with your children by viewing  this cute animated movie called (what else) Fish & Chips!  An adventure of a young fish named "fish" and his nemesis "Chips" a cat. The two tear across land and sea and face off for the love of the same catfish and bones of fish's ancestor.  Their hilarious adventures are sure to have both children and adults laughing. 

 (c) Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

June is National Candy Month

A Collection of Candies and 'Candy Days'

 

Sweet-tasting treats we call Candy have been around for thousands of years. Early man first discovered how great sweets tasted when he began digging honey out of bee hives.

Various types of actual 'candy' were found in the recorded history of the Egyptians 3500 years ago. In the 17th century, boiled candies became popular. 

Homemade hard candies, like peppermints and lemon drops became a favorite in America in the 1800s, as sugar-beet juice and the advancement of mechanical appliances made sweet-making into an industry! And we haven't even started on how much chocolate and gum makes us candy-lovers happy. :)

Origin of National Candy Month

After doing a long search through many types and sources of Candy, all we know for sure is that JUNE is National Candy Month. No one appears to have given a reason for either the national celebration or why June was chosen as 'candy' month, so we will simply 'enjoy' and 'indulge our sweet tooth' throughout June. :)

Candies Associated with Holidays

 

1960s Holiday Retro Candy Gift Box

These 'sweet snacks' called Candy are especially popular around certain special events throughout the year and have become integrated in celebrations and holidays.

Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day are the biggest candy selling days . . in that order.

We Love Candy!

We all know certain candies are associated with particular holidays, but, did you know that there are many, many other days throughout the year that celebrate the sweetness we call candy in one form or another, with ‘chocolate’ being the #1 term used? Let’s check out a few of those chocolate ones.

 

 Chocolate Candy Holiday Celebrations

Chocolate Poster by CarriesCamera
 

• January 3rd - National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
• February 19 - Chocolate Mint Day
• The 3rd Week of March is 'American Chocolate Week'.
• March 19 - National Chocolate Caramel Day
• March 24 - National Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day
• April 21 - National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
• May 12 - National Nutty Fudge Day
• June 16 - FUDGE Day!
• July 7 - CHOCOLATE DAY!
• July 28 - National Milk Chocolate Day
• September 13 - International Chocolate Day
• September 22 - National White Chocolate Day

For 'whatever' reason, there appears to be several 'Days' devoted to the celebration of CHOCOLATE (and, why not... :). National Chocolate Day is on a Candy Holidays list for October 28th, December 28th and December 29th. Perhaps these days are set aside to finish up those chocolate treats from Halloween and Christmas! :-)

• November 7 - National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
• And (Finally... and rightly so).... December 16 - National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day!

Candy Man

 

Listen to 'The Candyman... While you Check out these Candy Holidays

A Collection of Candies and 'Candy Days'

The various types of candy are too numerous to list in one article. They include everything from Candy Bars to Lollipops to candies associated with particular holidays. I've included just a few here, but they all taste delicious! And...as you can see... your 'candy' days don't have to be limited just to June!

• February 14 - Valentine's Day
• April 22 - Jelly Bean Day
• May 23 - National Taffy Day
• July 20 - National Lollipop Day

• October is National Caramel Month

• October 30 - Candy Corn Day
• October 31 - Candy Apple Day
• December 26 - Candy Cane Day

A Bit of Trivia for National Candy Month

  

Candy is easily made by melting sugar in water. The candy type depends on the temperature at which it is heated. Hot temperatures result in hard candy; medium temperatures make soft candy and low temperature result in chewy candy.  Fun to remember this when making (or eating) your next batch of fudge or peanut brittle or chocolate bon-bons. 

© 2012 Wednesday-Elf  (originally written on another site). Updated on 7/7/2023

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”