Old fondent

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TOBY-3652

Drone Bee
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Oct 13, 2010
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Location
uk north lincs
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I have some fondant from last year that is hard as a rock can anyone please tell me how 2 soften it for use this year thanks
 
I have some fondant from last year that is hard as a rock can anyone please tell me how 2 soften it for use this year thanks

I will be interested in any answers given but my suggestion is. Use a knife to take shavings of the block. Put the shavings in a bowl with a little water. Chop up again with the knife into smaller pieces and kneed in the water - chop and kneed until the water is absorbed and the fondant is smooth again and at the required consistency. Labour intensive but all I can suggest.
 
Fondant

I have some fondant from last year that is hard as a rock can anyone please tell me how 2 soften it for use this year thanks

Try using the microwave on a low setting until pliable.

I would try a small piece first.
 
As Kighill, then roll it out and add water to fold in. Will need to be quite gloopy if hot, when rolling and folding, as it will harden considerably more than you first think....

Now, if it is as hard as rock (ie virtually dry), forget it and start again. Use the rock for feeding syrup, next spring.

Unless a big lump, it is often uneconomic on effort to recover it.

RAB
 
I have some fondant from last year that is hard as a rock can anyone please tell me how 2 soften it for use this year thanks

Put it in a bowl and cover with water. Then cover the bowl with cling film and leave it alone for maybe a couple of weeks. By this time it will have begun to dissolve into the water and certainly softened on the outside, using a knife or something similar prise the lump open and allow the water to get everywhere, leave for a few more days. Then put the whole lot into a saucepan and heat it slowly, stirring until there are no more lumps. Don't allow it to boil Leave it to cool in the pan. You may find that it is too wet and therefore a sticky mush, if it's like this warm it again and hold it over the heat for a while again not allowing it to boil. If you have a double boiler that is ideal for re-heating it, but not many people have them so just take care with a saucepan. I'm assuming it is a commercial bought fondant? If so it will nicely go back to what it was. Before it gets too cold tip it out onto some cling and wrap it up, then put it into a plastic bag and seal.

Frisbee
 
Put it in a bowl and cover with water. Then cover the bowl with cling film and leave it alone for maybe a couple of weeks. By this time it will have begun to dissolve into the water and certainly softened on the outside, using a knife or something similar prise the lump open and allow the water to get everywhere, leave for a few more days. Then put the whole lot into a saucepan and heat it slowly, stirring until there are no more lumps. Don't allow it to boil Leave it to cool in the pan. You may find that it is too wet and therefore a sticky mush, if it's like this warm it again and hold it over the heat for a while again not allowing it to boil. If you have a double boiler that is ideal for re-heating it, but not many people have them so just take care with a saucepan. I'm assuming it is a commercial bought fondant? If so it will nicely go back to what it was. Before it gets too cold tip it out onto some cling and wrap it up, then put it into a plastic bag and seal.

Frisbee

Using it to make syrup sounds a LOT easier! :)
 
Using it to make syrup sounds a LOT easier! :)

Yes....it probably could be, but the time for using syrup has past and the OP wanted to turn it back into useable fondant so I just answered the question.

A lot of fondant ends up as hard lumps, it is somewhat of a waste to just chuck it away and plenty only feed fondant.

Frisbee
 
Just re-processed 3 kg of mine from last year, same problem.

Per kg of rock hard fondant
chop fondant up as much as you can to increase surface area.
Boil 200g water
add 30g glucose syrup
hold at below 110'C and add the fondant, mix until until the fondant has completely gone back into solution - watch the heat and watch for foaming as you melt and drive off moisture - so dont leave it alone!
when melted in steadily raise temperature until you hit 118'C (no higher - you'll start to caramelise)
cool to about 60'C
pour back to your chosen mould

use same season, invert sugar content will be higher than std fondant (good)but water activity will be up slightly as well (bad)
 
Suggestion 1:- The sensible one (not used by me very often).............bin it and use fresh.
Suggestion 2:- For a tightwad like myself. Break it up into little chunks with a hammer, throw some of the chunks into your syrup feeder on the hives, add the syrup and near the end of the syrup taking let the bees in and they will tidy up all the, by now soft, or even dissolved, fondant. (Done this many times)
Suggestion 3:- Place the fondant, in single hive portions, in a watertight poly bag, add anything from an eggcup to a mug(depending on block size) of clean water, and seal the neck of the bag and leave for a week or more. Then just feed as normal fondant by slashing the bag and placing the cuts over the cluster. (This does work too, and the condensing of the water vapour rising from the bees meeting the hygroscopic surface of the fondant, keeps the bees working face of the fondant workeable).
 
I think ile bin it just ordered two 12-5kg from mate who just happens to be a butcher £9-00 per box
 
I think ile bin it

Why? Do you normally throw away, say, half-full (or half-empty) bags of sugar?
 
No there usually full when i chuck them out, im too busy to waste time messing around with a bit of fondant. Anyone who wants it is quite welcome to come and collect it
 
You'd be surprised what the bees can cope with ... I've got an already well-fed nut that has taken half a kilo of fondant I could only just get my finger nail into. I've got a couple of other blocks from last year (in plastic containers) that I'll simply place upside down over a strong colony. Waste not, want not.
 
just ordered two 12-5kg from mate who just happens to be a butcher £9-00 per box
Ah! why didn't I think of that Butchers always have plenty of fondant, and there's me wasting a morning sweet talking Dai the baker :biggrinjester:
 

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