National Fudge Day 2023 (US): Facts, Dates and History

National Fudge Day 2023: Have you ever heard someone remark “Oh, fudge!” after making a mistake? Similarly to the Slinky, the Post-It note, potato chips, and penicillin, it is believed that fudge was an accident. According to urban legend, a confectioner made a mistake while attempting to make caramel, but he ended up creating something equally delicious. On June 16, we celebrate this joyful accident, which is National Fudge Day. Recipes for fudge spread rapidly among students at women’s colleges such as Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1890, one student produced 30 pounds of the item for the Vassar Senior Auction!

NATIONAL FUDGE DAY ACTIVITIES

Plan a journey to the Fudge Festival in Mackinac.

Mackinac Island, Michigan is a 4.35-square-mile island that is home to more than a dozen fudge stores, despite its permanent population hovering around 500. The celebration does not need to coincide with National Fudge Day, despite the fact that it does not. Every year, a large number of people make the journey to observe the fudge-making process, sample fudge-infused cocktails crafted by local mixologists, compete in a sugar-sack relay race, and search for “golden tickets” concealed inside boxes of fudge that entitle winners to a free vacation. The festival takes place in April, giving you ample time to purchase tickets and perhaps train on an elliptical machine in preparation.

Serve some ice cream

What the what? What about ice cream on National Fudge Day? Yep. After all, hot fudge sauce cannot exist without fudge. The sauce that is spooned over ice cream and topped with whipped cream is nearly identical to traditional fudge, except that it never sets — a mistake made from an error! Prior to the invention of fudge, the only options for topping ice cream were basic chocolate sauce and fruit sauces. Nothing wrong with a strawberry sundae, of course, but we owe this most iconic of American ice cream delights to early fudge fudgers.

Give someone toffee as a present.

Consider how delightful it would be to receive a handmade fudge tray as a gift. It takes no longer to prepare a double batch than a single one, so keep half for yourself and give the remainder to a friend or loved one. Bring some fudge to the office (if you like your coworkers) or to your local fire station or nursing home to disseminate a little sweetness. Uncertain about combining an exposed flame with molten sugar? Almost all fudge shops will gladly ship their product to any location on earth. Thus, you can also select a sampler bundle containing a variety of flavours.