How to Make Pineapple Fudge

This fudge is sure to be the talk of the dessert table, whether it's a family get-together or cocktail party. Pineapple fudge delivers sweet decadence during any season, as its known as both a winter holiday dessert and for spring and summer luaus, beach parties or other summer get-togethers. This recipe shows you step-by-step how to make delicious but easy pineapple fudge.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3 cups white sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Make Pineapple Fudge

1. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch square baking pan. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized nonstick saucepan, stir together evaporated milk, sugar and butter. Heat slowly to boiling, stirring frequently just to boiling or until sugar loses crystalline consistency.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in drained crushed pineapple (remember one cup, not one can), and cook over medium heat to soft ball stage of fudge (236 degrees F or 113 degrees C). Stir constantly at this stage to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, about 25 minutes.

4. Let mixture cool until its almost room temperature (approximately 15 to 20 minutes) and then stir in the lemon juice. Beat until mixture is thick and smooth, and has lost its previous sheen.

5. Spoon mixture into the buttered pan. Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate for approximately 2 hours until fudge is firm and then cut into squares for serving.

Tips & Warnings

• When taking to a party, a decorative serving idea is to purchase a whole pineapple, place the pineapple in the center of a serving plate, and then place fudge all around the pineapple.

• For those who love fudge with nuts, sprinkle chopped pecans on top of this fudge as it thickens in the baking pan prior to cutting.

• It's important to use a candy thermometer in all fudge recipes. These thermometers can be purchased at most grocery or retail stores, and usually the lower-priced thermometers serve most cooks well.

• This is a very sweet fudge! To please every fudge lover at your next party or get-together, serve pineapple fudge in combination with a second fudge made from dark chocolate.

• Fudge is always tricky. If the consistency doesn't come out right on the first go-round, try, try again. Remember to follow directions for ingredients, temperature and cooking time as closely as possible to ensure best results.