Hershey's Cocoa Fudge & Old Fashioned Fudge
Folks,
Due to receiving so many requests regarding Hershey's Fudge recipes that people said were
on the can, I wrote to Hershey's, and Hershey's Community Archives graciously sent me photocopies
of the different labels that have appeared on the Hershey's Cocoa can from 1936 through 1992.
The fudge recipe on these can labels is basically unchanged during that period, except:
1) From 1941 to 1947 a recipe using corn syrup was on the label. In 1947, the recipe changed
back to an all sugar version. After this, the recipe stayed basically the same through 1992.
2) In 1947, when the recipe reverted to an all-sugar version, the ingredient quantities, but
not the ingredients used, were changed from the 1936 version. The instructions changed slightly
in 1974.
3) There is no fudge recipe using cream of tartar or black walnuts, per se, on any of the
labels. If any such recipe was ever issued by Hershey's, it must have been in a magazine
ad or a recipe pamphlet, not on the can. If you have proof otherwise, please send me a scan or photo
of the proof. The only compelling proof that I can think of would be a photo of an actual
Hershey's can label. An individual's memory or a notation in someone's recipe book would
not be compelling proof. Note that the 1941 to 1947 recipe called for nuts, but not black
walnuts.
4) Hershey's other cocoa product, called "Hershey's Instant Cocoa Mix", also came in a can
that had recipes on the label. This product was sold as a convenient beverage mix, for making
hot cocoa or cold chocolate milk. It contained cocoa, sugar and vanillin, so that you didn't
have to mix these ingredients yourself to make cocoa or chocolate milk. The fudge recipe on the
labels of this product in the fifties and sixties is a basic milk-sugar-butter fudge. Still
no cream of tartar or anything much different from a basic fudge recipe. It's basically the
same as on the Hershey's Cocoa can, with adjustments made for the sugar and vanillin already
in the mix.
There does not appear to have ever been a fudge recipe printed on the Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
can. However, Hershey's has published recipes for fudge made with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup in
pamphlets or booklets. See:
11/13/18 - Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Fudge Recipe
Original Hershey's Fudge Recipes from the can 1936 - 1974
Hershey's Fudge with Karo
A Fudge Recipe with Cream of Tartar
Old Fashioned Fudge & Fudge with black walnuts
A Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe using Hershey's Cocoa
More Old Fashioned Fudge
I no longer search for fudge recipes unless they have a unique name or VERY unusual ingredients
or are of historical significance. There are too many of them that differ only slightly.
