so, i'm making fudge for a family reunion soon, and i happen to live in a very hot, humid climate. the recipe I use is just condensed milk and chocolate since i'm pretty new to candy-making, but unfortunately it tends to get melty and sticky when taken outside (which is kind of inevitable when camping at a family reunion).
any advice on how to get it to stay firm? (and as a small bonus question, any neat flavor recommendations? i love weirder flavors a whole lot :] )
The heat shouldn't have much too effect, but the humidity will. This depends on the temperature and exact recipe though.
Traditional fudge is essentially finely crystallized sugar, while some other recipes have more water and are more like a partially solid solution - common with condensed milk fudge like you have.. The former aren't affected by heat (melting point of sugar is quite high), while the latter can be.
The melting point of chocolate is slightly below body temperature, so keeping the fudge cool should help - wrap the container in damp paper or cloth and top up the water as it dries, keep in the shade too. Evaporative cooling should help keep the fudge solid.
Humidity is the bigger killer here I think. The water in the air is absorbed into the hygroscopic sugar and causes it to liquify. To prevent this you need to keep the fudge in a well sealed container with as little air as possible. One way to do this is to have it inside a sealed plastic bag - ziploc style for my preference. You can squash the bag down to eliminate air, or even use the suction from a pump to remove excess air. Storing small lots in individual containers might also help - open one as wanted and eat, aiming for no left-overs.
