National Fudge Day is on Wednesday, June 16, 2027, and it falls on June 16 every year. It celebrates the rich, creamy candy made from sugar, butter and milk, often with chocolate. It’s an easy treat to make at home or pick up at a candy shop.
When Is National Fudge Day?
It’s always June 16. It’s an unofficial food day, not a federal holiday.
Who Started National Fudge Day?
No founder or start year has been documented.
Background: fudge and the college craze
Fudge is an American invention from the late 1800s, but its exact origins are unclear. It became famous at women’s colleges.
A popular legend credits Emelyn Battersby Hartridge of Vassar College’s class of 1892, Atlas Obscura notes. In a 1921 letter, she wrote that in 1888 “I made 30 pounds for the Senior Auction.” She said she got the recipe from a friend’s cousin in Baltimore.
The idea spread. Vassar students made chocolate, butter and sugar fudge, Wellesley’s version added marshmallows, and Smith’s used molasses. Early recipes called it “a college dish,” and it was once known as “Vassar chocolates.”
Why Celebrate Fudge?
It’s a candy almost anyone can make with a pot and a spoon, and it’s a favorite gift around the holidays. An 1895 Boston Globe article helped bring fudge to national attention, CooksInfo reports.
The day celebrates both the old-fashioned cooked kind and the quick versions made with condensed milk. Fudge is also a classic souvenir from candy shops in tourist towns.
How to Celebrate National Fudge Day
- Make classic chocolate fudge: cook sugar, milk and butter to the soft-ball stage, then beat in chocolate.
- Use a thermometer: it takes the guesswork out of reaching the soft-ball stage.
- Try a shortcut: melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk for an easy no-thermometer fudge.
- Add mix-ins: stir in walnuts, peanut butter, marshmallows or crushed peppermint.
- Make a Vassar-style batch: keep it simple with chocolate, butter and sugar.
- Visit a candy shop: many make fudge on marble slabs you can watch.
- Gift it: cut fudge into squares and pack it in a tin for a friend.
- Try a regional flavor: maple walnut, penuche made with brown sugar, or peanut butter fudge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my fudge grainy?
Grainy fudge usually means not all the sugar dissolved, CooksInfo notes. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves before boiling, and avoid stirring while it cools.
Who invented fudge?
No one knows for sure. Vassar student Emelyn Hartridge popularized it in 1888, but similar candies existed under other names.
How should I store fudge?
Wrap it tightly and keep it in an airtight container. It keeps at room temperature for about a week, or longer in the fridge.