Can a meat thermometer be used instead of a candy thermometer when making fudge?

Question

This is the recipe I am usinghttp://www.recipezaar.com/16922

Soft ball stage is not what I am worried about, I need to know when it reaches 110f.

Answer 1

i use my digital meat thermometer to measure the temp of water.  So I'd say so.   However, I'm not sure how hot fudge gets.  check the limits on the thermometer.

Answer 2

A candy thermometer has the stages of the sugar marked on it, so it's much easier to use... and very inexpensive to buy

Answer 3

Not really.  A candy thermometer is more exact in measuring temperature as only 5 degrees in making candy can make a huge difference.  Meat thermometers aren't precise enough.

Fudge is pretty easy to test though since it only needs to be at the "soft ball" stage.  You just dip the spoon in the candy then drizzle it into some cold water.  It needs to form a ball that flattens after a couple minutes when removed from the water.  After a little practice you'll be able to tell soft ball stage by just putting it in water and not having to remove it. Try this link to see a video on what a soft ball stage looks like.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/can...

I would imagine the digital thermometer would work for cooling stage as you are only looking for it to be cool enough to stir/whip, but not so cool it starts to set.

Answer 4

Here's what you want to do if you don't have a candy Thermometer

Soft-ball Stage for

Fudge, Fondant, Creams, Penuche, Maple, etc:

When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it forms a ball that does not hold its shape when pressed with your fingers.

234-240ºF (112-116ºC)