Making fondant/candy

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Chocolate falls went under didn't they? Certainly my email for them is defunct and couldn't find them as they were first place I went. Bako in various locations have either not responded to emails sent 3wks since, or quoted £18 for 12.5kg. Is it REALLY such a bad idea attempting the fondant? Have tried sugar bricks and mountain camp with varying success for the former and a load of wastage with the latter. Anyone whose got a reliable contact for bulk fondant £14 or under would have my undying gratitude and spare kidney if asked.

also try Walker Humphrey in Leeds - they supply fondant to bee farmers.

 

[Blunt Spike]

My better half had a go at making fondant today as an experiment. At 4:1 it took her ages to make a couple of blocks. Constant stirring, checking temp then stirring until it dissolved, then let it cool to get a paste.. as per Roger Pattinson / Dave Cushman. Doing that for 100 colonies would take an eternity. As Blackcloud says, I guess it is down to how much is your time worth.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Has anyone used sugar bricks? Could this replace fondant?
No cooking required.

How to make . . .

 

[Superlativesoul]

This is from Wally Shaws guide to feeding bees :
Recipe for Making Sugar Cake
Pour granulated sugar into a mixing bowl and for each 1kg add 70ml of
warm water (about 50 0
C but not critical). Mix into a uniformly crumbly
texture. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper or polythene and firmly
pack with the mixture to the required depth (suggest 20–25mm). Finally,
mark out the size of blocks you require with a knife and then leave for
at least 24 hours for the mixture to become firm (see Figure 10). These
blocks (cakes/biscuits) should be placed on the top bars immediately
over the cluster (see Figure 11). Provide space for the bees to access them
using a shallow eke of the type used for ‘Apiguard’ treatment (25–30mm).
Finally, replace the cover board (preferably an insulated one) to keep the
upper part of the hive as warm as possible.
John.

 

[judy12]

If there's a Bookers wholesalers near you they will give all beekeepers a Bookers card because they want to support us. Just show them your association membership card. I usually pay £15.00 for a 25 kilo bag of sugar.

 

[Goran]

Again, in experience I found the best fondants I used are made by Goran.. Grinded sugar, making invert ( I make with citric acid) and mix..
For mixing, maybe can found some old on " military scrapyards" - mixer for field kitchen ( some 40-50 kilos of fondant mass per turn) . My friend found such and we are using it heavily.. It paid off long ago..
Grinder, that should be maybe trouble to find cheap..

 

[Blunt Spike]

If there's a Bookers wholesalers near you they will give all beekeepers a Bookers card because they want to support us. Just show them your association membership card. I usually pay £15.00 for a 25 kilo bag of sugar.

I phoned Booker yesterday. They said you need to be a business to get an account. They think your local association must have an account and you are allowed access using their account number. However, not all associations have an account (mine doesnt) so I cant get in.

I did phone Bako. They will allow miscellaneous account purchases. They charge £20.01 per 12.5 kg box of fondant. If think they said If the order is over £150 its free delivery. I phoned a local organic bakery. They will order fondant for me and its £20 per box or £19 if I want 5 or more... plus no delivery as I can pick it up.

 

[Superlativesoul]

My local association sold me Ambrosia Syrup/fondant 12.5kg for £18.50
Happy as I do not have many hives to feed ,But can see the need to get good bulk prices if you have many hives to feed .Its the delivery prices that are the killer if your not able to collect .
I wanted some timber today rang the local merchant and he took £7off a length of the advertised price ,only wanted 3 lengths 4x2 4.8mt long treated, so goes to show how much profit they are making if they can reduce the price so much. I did not haggle either .Hopefully you are all able to get a good price .
John.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

My local association sold me Ambrosia Syrup/fondant 12.5kg for £18.50
Happy as I do not have many hives to feed ,But can see the need to get good bulk prices if you have many hives to feed .Its the delivery prices that are the killer if your not able to collect .
I wanted some timber today rang the local merchant and he took £7off a length of the advertised price ,only wanted 3 lengths 4x2 4.8mt long treated, so goes to show how much profit they are making if they can reduce the price so much. I did not haggle either .Hopefully you are all able to get a good price .
John.

Back in the 1970s I was Factory Engineer at one of Tate and Lyles sites. We bought metric ball bearings at 83% (yes eightythree percent) T&L group discount.

 

[Pembroke]

I phoned Booker yesterday. They said you need to be a business to get an account. They think your local association must have an account and you are allowed access using their account number. However, not all associations have an account (mine doesnt) so I cant get in.

I did phone Bako. They will allow miscellaneous account purchases. They charge £20.01 per 12.5 kg box of fondant. If think they said If the order is over £150 its free delivery. I phoned a local organic bakery. They will order fondant for me and its £20 per box or £19 if I want 5 or more... plus no delivery as I can pick it up.

Setting up as a self employed person (sole trader) in the UK is dead simple to do. So getting a trade account isn't that hard, it will just take a bit of time. If you're already selling honey then you're half way there already.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that Bookers aren't really that cheap unless you're buying in bulk. One 25KG bag of Tate and Lyles finest won't be much cheaper than buying it by the kilo in a discount store like Farm Foods.

 

[Rory Fields]

Did the wasps chew through the poly to get to syrup or am I misunderstanding?

Yes, thought my Paynus nucs blasted internal feeder (most have sensibly been cannibalised into 8 frame nucs) was sufficiently well sealed with masonry paint - evidently not!

 

[Rory Fields]

Has anyone used sugar bricks? Could this replace fondant?
No cooking required.

How to make . . .

I've tried them before, though only in plastic takeaway containers and the bees are liable to fill that with brace comb. If I'm feeding fondant straight onto a QE on the top bars as is my preferred method, then a load of cheap old jumpers around always provides insulation and sinks down as the fondant depeletes - I wonder if the woollies would absorb too much of the hive moisture to the extent sugar bricks would never be workable for the bees and end up with a lot of waste like mountain camp?

 

[Rory Fields]

If there's a Bookers wholesalers near you they will give all beekeepers a Bookers card because they want to support us. Just show them your association membership card. I usually pay £15.00 for a 25 kilo bag of sugar.

Still finding that this year too? Cheers

 

[Rory Fields]

This is from Wally Shaws guide to feeding bees :
Recipe for Making Sugar Cake
Pour granulated sugar into a mixing bowl and for each 1kg add 70ml of
warm water (about 50 0
C but not critical). Mix into a uniformly crumbly
texture. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper or polythene and firmly
pack with the mixture to the required depth (suggest 20–25mm). Finally,
mark out the size of blocks you require with a knife and then leave for
at least 24 hours for the mixture to become firm (see Figure 10). These
blocks (cakes/biscuits) should be placed on the top bars immediately
over the cluster (see Figure 11). Provide space for the bees to access them
using a shallow eke of the type used for ‘Apiguard’ treatment (25–30mm).
Finally, replace the cover board (preferably an insulated one) to keep the
upper part of the hive as warm as possible.
John.

Big fan of Wally Ahaw - excellent, pragmatic beekeeper. Is this something you do?

 

[Superlativesoul]

Big fan of Wally Ahaw - excellent, pragmatic beekeeper. Is this something you do?

Hi Rory
This is my first year in beekeeping, and as such have not got to the point of doing this as of yet .But have been reading Wally Shaws guides .The amount of knowledge on this forum is awesome and the fact that someone will answer your query ,even though its been asked many times before is very gratifying to a newbie. I shall be putting on ambrosia Fondant this year and hopefully my bees will go through winter .let's hope for a mild one
John

 

[Rory Fields]

Hi Rory
This is my first year in beekeeping, and as such have not got to the point of doing this as of yet .But have been reading Wally Shaws guides .The amount of knowledge on this forum is awesome and the fact that someone will answer your query ,even though its been asked many times before is very gratifying to a newbie. I shall be putting on ambrosia Fondant this year and hopefully my bees will go through winter .let's hope for a mild one
John

Ah, I envy you your first taste of your own bees honey! It's incredible. If you're anything like most of us, you'll find it a steep learning curve, be told entirely opposite practises are essential and feel vaguely like you know what you're doing by year 3. Then you realise you'll never know anything and that bees will always surprise ;-) Welcome to the club!

 

[judy12]

Yes, you're right, Rory - Bookers now £20.99 for 25k. Sorry about that. But still find the big sack easier to use than all those Ik bags.

 

[Rory Fields]

Yes, you're right, Rory - Bookers now £20.99 for 25k. Sorry about that. But still find the big sack easier to use than all those Ik bags.

Still sounds worthwhile! I'm sorted for now as I've just bought lots of fondant for 13.95, but definitely great when I make syrup, thanks!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Still sounds worthwhile! I'm sorted for now as I've just bought lots of fondant for 13.95, but definitely great when I make syrup, thanks!

Glad to hear you got it sorted Rory. I assume you found the local supplier.

 

[Rory Fields]

Glad to hear you got it sorted Rory. I assume you found the local supplier.

I did, but only thanks to you so I owe you one! Previously they'd not gotten back to me so one last try proved worthwhile - it'd have been sugar bricks for the lost otherwise. I'm v grateful!