Can you freeze fudge? I received a box for my birthday and had a small piece tonight. That fudge (from Gertrude Hawk Chocolates) is totally worth a few extra calories BUT I need to get it out of sight. I don't want to throw it out because I really do enjoy it but I don't want to enjoy it so much that I undo all the positive steps I've taken over the last few weeks. So, I'm thinking of freezing it in small pieces. It's funny, I always forget about stuff in my freezer. It's weird, there can be ice cream, Popsicles, cake, etc. in my freezer and I don't think twice about it. If I have cake or cookies or fudge, etc. in the fridge or on the counter I think about it way too much. Why is that? Anyway, hopefully it will freeze well because I know once in the depths of the freezer my thoughts of that rich fudgey yumminess will diminish.

Jill

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy:
Sometimes it is good to hear alternatives to keeping fudge around...
even if you don't want to hear alternatives to keeping fudge around.

I also consider that pretty much nearly 100% of the posts I write are ME working out MY process and what works for ME. I'm always pleased if any of my posts help somebody else... But the person that I have helped the most with my 8000+ posts is me.

And any thread that asks any question... my response is going to be from MY point of view (since that is the one I am most familiar with). I may attempt to take another person's point of view into consideration… but I don’t always.

And plus… if I answer “I’d throw the fudge away”… it is re-enforcing what works for *me* and what I will do next time.

I truly don’t think that I’m all that unique. Every person posts from his or her point of view... and then we all read it and think, "Hey, I'll try that, thanks!" or "Bug Off, thank you very much!!!"

quote:

Originally posted by Sheltieguy:
Anyone who wants to throw them away gets their fingers broken. -LOL

That's my kind of chocolaholic, Sheltie! hehe

BTW, when something is "too tempting", I make it harder to get at:

I put it in a zip-lock bag, and seal it with duct tape or box tape. That way, I have a chance to think before I eat.

I am going to freeze it. First, I am going to do Sheltieguy's recommendation of freezing one piece and seeing what happens. If it works well, I'll freeze the rest. I don't want to throw it away(and I certainly can understand and appreciate the throw it away suggestions) but I'm not keeping it because it was a gift, out of guilt, or because I can't throw away food. I know I can throw food away, I"ve already thrown away an entire cake, cookies, chips, etc. But this fudge is really, really good and I truly believe that there is room for fudge in my life. Now, if I had fudge in my house week after week and was indulging multiple times a day, or even daily then I would have to reconsider. But, I probably eat fudge once a year. And, it's not calling my name. I have been in the refrigerator about 20 times today and not once did I think about opening the fudge. Which for me is the difference in whether or not to throw something away. If that fudge starts screaming to me every second it will go in the trash but as long as I can control myself around it I feel fine about keeping it in the house.


It is when I restrict myself and say things like "NO fudge", that's when I get into trouble. But, knowing it's there and knowing if I want to have some I can and not beat myself up over it, I can handle it.
Jill

Try freezing one piece of fudge, defrosting it, and then see how it holds up.

I recently froze some Martha Stewart Fudgy Chocolate Brownies, that I made with Lindt 70% chocolate.

I haven't defrosted any yet, so the jury is still out on their "freezeability".

Anyone who wants to throw them away gets their fingers broken. -LOL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
OMG!!! Can't you people READ??? I asked about FREEZING fudge. I know how to throw it away if I want to! Geeze!

I thought about this...
but just had to add my two cents.
Sometimes it is good to hear alternatives to keeping fudge around...
even if you don't want to hear alternatives to keeping fudge around.

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:

quote:

What have you decided, Jill?

OTOH... if it was me who had posted about freezing fudge... I might be thinking,

OMG!!! Can't you people READ??? I asked about FREEZING fudge. I know how to throw it away if I want to! Geeze!

(smile) Especially considering that her original message says:

quote:

Jillybean: "...I don't want to throw it out..."

quote:

What have you decided, Jill?

OTOH... if it was me who had posted about freezing fudge... I might be thinking,

OMG!!! Can't you people READ??? I asked about FREEZING fudge. I know how to throw it away if I want to! Geeze!

I'll be the lone voice that says it's ok to keep something that sounds like you truly enjoy. I'm not sure if DBF is living with you at this point but if not, what if he kept the fudge in the fridge at his house and you could either have a treat occasionally when you're there or ask him to bring it back to the house at a time when you're ready to have some (and ideally have someone to share it with).

I personally have gone the other way and learned to live with stuff like this in the house and it doesn't call my name and doesn't cause me angst. I have a large box of chocolates I got for my birthday in early April and I didn't even open it for like 3 weeks and I haven't had more than a single piece in a day except two nights ago when I had 2.

Peg

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
the story of KD's mom making her the most special German chocolate cake for KD’s 40th birthday… and she brought the leftovers home and they were calling to her… and she put the cake down the disposal. I’m sure that chocolate cake freezes well… but she put it down the disposal.

For me, tossing the leftover high sugar food would be a celebration of my own life and choices. For so many years I was compelled to eat the pizza or the chocolate or whatever. These days I like to practice letting go of the food - it helps me feel and be in control.

Throwing out the fugde would really please me. It would affirm that I am in charge and that the darn food is not so important. Really, who cares about fudge? Why is it so important?

I remember being in Chicago at a great chocolate place. We each had a small truffle. I thought to myself that I should really take a few back to the hotel- they are so divine. But really- it was just chocolate. Even though it was some of the best in the counrty, it was still just chocoalte and it was super important for me to know that it was just not important. I had the piece, enjoyed it and did not need more.

My holding on to food gets me in trouble. I can be super attached and need to practice letting go.

That's just been my individual experience...
What have you decided, Jill?

Edited to add that even when I am not in much danger of eating foods from the freezer, I still benefit from the liberating practice of tossing food. It changes me. It was especially important for me to do this during weight loss mode.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy:
Plus, I find that when I am willing to let go of food and loosen my death grip on foods that used to be so "special" to me, I have a much easier time losing/ maintaining my weight and feeling good about myslef.

One of the most memorable stories (for ME) from one of KD’s books (I want to say the second one) was the story of KD's mom making her the most special German chocolate cake for KD’s 40th birthday… and she brought the leftovers home and they were calling to her… and she put the cake down the disposal. I’m sure that chocolate cake freezes well… but she put it down the disposal.

I’m sort of torn about freezing the fudge… and I can see putting fudge or cake or whatever in the freezer… and declaring, “That is our dessert for next Sunday (don‘t anybody eat it, please!)”.

Personally, I can NOT see keeping thousands, and thousands, and thousands of calories in ice cream, cake, cookies, popcycles, fudge, etc, etc. in the freezer “in case we feel like eating them” or “I don’t want them to go to waste” or “it was a gift” or “it was on sale” or even “I don’t think about them if they are in the freezer”. At least in my house, we keep food in the house which we are going to eat… and NONE of us need literally THOUSANDS of “junk food” calories just sitting around waiting to be eaten.

I don’t know about your kid, but if I have fresh strawberries in the fridge… he will eat 3 cups of those. If I have a half gallon of ice cream in the freezer… he will eat 3 cups of that. He is thin. He can “afford” it. But I’d rather he eat strawberries after school… rather than ice cream every afternoon.

If I have stock piles of “junk foods” just sitting around… eventually… they will be eaten by somebody… me, my kid, my dh.

We eat plenty of “junk food” and we have NO problem using up our discretionary calories. But I don’t need to store a whole years worth of discretionary sugar and fat calories in my freezer today.

I vote for ditching it, it's too strong a draw for me. OR if you can't toss it, regift it to someone else, telling them that you can't eat it but you'd like to share.

Safer than finding yourself in the freezer at 2:00 \AM

Hey, Jill-
I am in favor of dumping the fudge too. Getting rid of it might be a good exercise in letting go of non-food food.

Plus, I find that when I am willing to let go of food and loosen my death grip on foods that used to be so "special" to me, I have a much easier time losing/ maintianing my weight and feeling good about myslef. I start to see that I matter (and my good health matters) more than the food.

I have frozen fudge... but it was homemade.

I don't remember it changing the consistency all THAT much... but I actually can't remember if I ate any when I defrosted it. It was 6 years ago.

The lines on a treble clef staff are E G B D F - "Every great band deserves fudge"... and I promised my band fudge one year... and I gave them a piece of fudge that had been frozen and defrosted... but I don't remember having a LOT of fudge... maybe like a 1" square for each kid... and I may not have had enough for me to eat some, too.

Most years, fudge is something I only make at Christmas... and any leftovers get tossed in the dumpster with the cheese and crackers and other holiday leftovers on January 1st.

Here's info from a recipe site:

<<Frozen fudge will keep for months if wrapped in waxed paper then again in aluminum foil and stored in an air-tight container. Wrap each individual slice or the entire box with plastic or aluminium foil and seal thoroughly. Properly wrapped it should keep for several months. Leave fudge in its wrapping for at least two hours upon removal from the freezer to permit it to return to room temperature.>>

However, it's my personal experience that the texture won't be the same.

My $.02 (which I know wasn't asked for ; ) is to ditch the fudge or give it away. My thinking is that thawed out, previous frozen fudge won't be good enough to be worth the calories down the road and you may as well save your freezer space for healthy stuff.