Fondant Gum...Will bees Eat it?

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RAKK

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Decided to try this is a small batch before making huge amount for my Nucs.

Mixed 2 quarts of water to 20 lb sugar. (should be 1 quart to 20lb?)
put a little Pink Salt
few drops of various Essential oils.
Added 40 Grains(2.6g) of citric acid

heated to 236 F.

Thing turned to be gum..

I think I added too much citric acid and too much water. Citric should be 15 grains(1.9g)

Should I heat the gum back up and add another 10 lb sugar to make things a bit better?

Or just give this gum to some nucs and make a new TEST batch?
I dont kow if the bees will like the Over inverted gum.

Let me know what you think...
 
Right mish-mash of units. I do note the grains to grams conversion is rather variable. I know what is should be, btw, so may suspect a typo, but who knows?

I'm afraid you will also have lost quite a few over here as you are not even quoting British Imperial units. US quarts and grains are not used in the UK (normally). Troy ounces are likely more common!

Many essential oils can be quite volatile at 100 degrees, or more. No idea what is in pink salt (presumably mostly sodium chloride?)

I suggest you try small batches for a start, although, as you say, 11kg may be a small batch to you.

I think you should find a well tried and tested recipe, in your local units, and follow it.

RAB
 
Pink Salt is used for curing (meat and stuff)
 
No i did not Dehydrate the sugar because if I did it would have turned black.

The pink salt is a Deer salt full of minerals... I use it for grease patties and I add to my "bee" baths. Bees prefer salt water over fresh. I only put a teaspoon for this batch...

The bees seem to have started chewing at it. The problem is it is all inverted due to the acid so it is gum. Theoretically bees should have easier time eating the candy. And yes I will make a new Batch to see how it turns out...

Sorry for all the American Units.

I appreciate all replies... And i sure hope this winter will be mild.
 
236F = 113C which I think is a little low to give any invert, your water volume is high by quite a long way, the long boil to reduce will produce HMF at that temp, avoid.
Reduce water volume 10 fold, seed with a small amount of glucose and target 115/6, progress through the boil reasonably quickly, cool rapidly and you should get a better result. Without a pressure cook the citric is not doing much for you, bin it IMO.
 
236F = 113C which I think is a little low to give any invert, your water volume is high by quite a long way, the long boil to reduce will produce HMF at that temp, avoid.
Reduce water volume 10 fold, seed with a small amount of glucose and target 115/6, progress through the boil reasonably quickly, cool rapidly and you should get a better result. Without a pressure cook the citric is not doing much for you, bin it IMO.

Thanks for the reply

I have reached 117 C and did not let the liquid boil but removed from stove. It took all night to cool outside in -3C.

Is it true that heat naturally inverts sugar at 117C?

What do you mean reduce water? Should water be 1 liter per 10 Kilos of sugar?
 
What do you mean reduce water? Should water be 1 liter per 10 Kilos of sugar?

That is more like it.

Fondant is usually around 11-12% water.

RAB
 

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