Fondant

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bump3r67

New Bee
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
47
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Location
West Midlands, UK
Hive Type
WBC
Number of Hives
2
Okay, probably a simple one but can you use fondant brought from the local cake shop to feed your bees.

Cheers
 
Check ingredients - sugar, water, glucose are all that should be in there...

R2
 
I would agree, check the ingredients.

Bulk bakers fondant is great, but I bought some Dr Oetkers packets - the bees preferred to starve!
 
I bought 12.5 kilos of Baker's Fondant for £15 from my local bakers. Just sugar, water, and sucrose. I think it'll last 2 or 3 years for my 2/3 hives. Bees love it.:party::party:
 
I haven't got a problem with the response of why......as long as it comes accompanied with an explanation. No point posting something that is meant to further confuse or belittle. It might be a simple questions but ain't got the first clue when it comes to the storage of fondant.
 
Just keep it sealed in a tight fitting bag or cling film and it will be ok for a year.
 
yes or no not blod--- why, what answer is that

The question was asked to induce some degree of thought on the matter. On thinking about 'why?' the poster might just realise, for themselves, the storage options.

Why would I want to freeze fondant? I don't really have a clue why I might want to freeze it. I keep it in it's box under my computer, and it has been there for about four years, until I used some this winter.

How was it bought - already frozen? That might offer a clue?

What were the storage recommendations written on the box, carton, whatever? I think mine says store in a cool place.

What was the best before or use-by date? Not seen a use-by date on a bag of sugar, I wonder why? That is dry and could keep forever. Honey at around 20% is fairly stable, is it not? Now what is the moisture of fondant? It's possibly on the box and will be around 11 to 12%. Err, won't that be OK to store like a bucket of honey then? I might say to myself.

further confuse or belittle.

Not meant to confuse or belittle, just to encourage you to think about the problem just a tad, or give a reason for wanting to do something such as that.

'Rote' learning has been discouraged for many a year. All of beekeeping is easy - if simple decisions are based on observation, some basic learning and sensible consideration of available options.

There should now be enough clues to enable you to answer my question. Why would you store it in a freezer?

By the way, I currently have only about 30kg of fondant (could easily have had another 25kg - had it been in stock at the time of collection). Some have hundreds of kilos or even tonnes of the stuff. I had never really considerered storing it in the freezer and don't think I will be doing anything other than following the manufacturer's instructions.

RAB
 
I had some in the garage for a year - I used some and thought I'd sealed it but when I looked recently it had lots of bubbles in it and looked like it had 'sweated'. I erred on the side of caution and chucked it. Not a recommendation, just saying, is all. Eb
 
yes or no not blod--- why, what answer is that
RAB

Don't worry, RAB.

I thought the response to your question was OTT.


You'd think with all the experience of being stung, people would be a bit thicker- skinned.

Some of us appreciate your wisdom and the vast amounts of time and effort you put into sharing it with us neophytes.


Dusty
 
Thanks everyone for the replies.

Dusty, I do appreciate RAB's advice and the wisdom that comes with it.

RAB, whats the connection with asking questions and Rote learning. We must have different definitions.
If I had heard of Bakers fondant before this post I may have been able to reach the same conclusion as you. But I have never purchased any to be able to read the manufactures instructions. I have never seen a packet to be able to take on board its moisture content. It was a simple question.
That is what I thought these forums were for.
I used to have a University lecturer who if asked a question would reply " go and look it up in the library". This forum is my library.
From the advice offered by the other contributions to this thread I now know that I can store it easily.
From your second post I now know even more. I thank you for that but it would have been a lot easier if you had posted that first. :)

Cheers all

Bump3r67
 
Fondant is basicaly sugar, most people wouldn't freeze sugar. Treat like sugar. :)
 
You should not and do not need to freeze fondant.

1. It has such a low water activity that bugs cannot grow in it so there is no risk of microbial spoilage, hence no need to slow / stop microbial metabolism and provided it is in a cool dry place no physical 'quality' advantage to freezing

2. It can and likely will suffer physical deterioration as a result of freezing - or more accurately thawing as well. This as result of water migration within the fondant as it slowly freezes and the additional issues of it being hydroscopic (water attracting) coupled with the natural effect of temperature gradient causing water to condense on the cold fondant surface as it thaws.

Both affects will cause the fondant to go sticky at best, mouldy at worst due to localised increase in free water. Very tightly wrapping and achieveing a vapour seal will largely mitgate the condensation issue, very rapid freezing (not available domestically) helps reduce the former. But that misses the point that it is wasted energy on a product that is ambient dry stable.

Now, wouldn't you have preferred to stick with RABs answer? I suspect he was just attempting to get thread readers to think about the merrits of freezing or otherwise.
 
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