Friday nights in the winter was our fudge parties. Brenda and I would be at one house together. Sometimes Mamma and Auntie had to pool their stuff so we'd have what was needed for the fudge.
Now this wasn't the fudge like we all make today. Nope, We didn't know there was any kind but what we made.
We'd assemble our stuff all on the old kitchen table. The recipe was on the Hershey's cocoa box. We used a big skillet to cook it in. Now this was not like the skillets we have today either. It was a skillet that used to be used on wood cook stoves. Had a long handle that did not get hot. The one we had was bent to heck and everything run to the center as you cooked it. I don't know why that particular skillet was used but it always was.
In the skillet went sugar, (three heaps) milk, dash of salt,& some cocoa powder. Now don't turn the burner on yet. First get that big ol' white platter. Spread a dollup of butter out on it and set it back on the table. Get a saucer and put a little cold water in it. Set the vanilla flavoring by that and some more butter. (Now let me explain, this is not what it stated on the can but how we talked to one another as we assembled it all.)
Now get the ingredients in the pan mixed real good and turn the burner on low. There was a container hanging on the wall near by that had yellow flowers on it. That was the match box holder. You had to strike a match on the side of the box, turn the gas on a smidge and stick the flame to it till the burner lit up. Quiet a production. The stove was white enamel with green stripes. Yep, Really! There were four burners. It sat up on four legs. The oven was on the side and it was big. Just threw that in for good measure in case some of you don't know what we cooked on then.
Now there was a teakettle of water always on the back burner with a low flame to always have hot water. The water stand had a shelf on bottom and there were two dishpans for washing and scalding dishes. Well Heck fire I done went and got sidetracked on all that, better get back to the fudge.
Now came cooking. It was definitely not five minute fudge. Bring the ingridients to a bubblin boil stiring constantly. Reduce heat and cook till a smidgen of it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water. Yep! We dropped so many balls in there that the water in the saucer was brown. We knew it wasn't done but we liked to eat the cooled stuff outta' the water. YEP! We usually had it running off the table. Now when the perfect soft ball was formed, remove from heat, add I teaspoon vanilla and a dolup of butter. Take turns beating it with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens up a bit and don't look so shiny. Pour in the buttered platter and spread out good. Get a spoon and test it till its cool and hard enough to cut with a knife. Eat all that off the spoon you tested it with. YUMMY!
You can't have a big piece till your mess is all cleaned up. That's where the hot water and the dishpans come in. Oh My Gosh was that stuff good!
Now if you guys were listinin good you outta be able to make the best darn fudge you ever wrapped your mouth on.
Good Grief but I'm hungry!!!!!
Tags: Friday Night Stove Sugar Clean Up
