At 04:26 PM 6/3/96 -0500, Allen wrote:                                          
                                                                                
>At one point, many years ago, recommendations were that a small                
>amount of tartaric acid be added to sugar syrup to invert the                  
>sucrose.                                                                       
>                                                                               
>Articles I have read indicates that this practice tends to cause               
>dysentary and is no longer recommended. Moreover, acid processed               
>syrups are known to cause bee mortality.                                       
>                                                                               
        Fascinating.                                                            
                                                                                
        The book that I used to get me started; "Practical Beekeeping"          
        Garden Way Publishing, Copyright 1977; specifies tartaric acid          
        to be used to retard crystallization. I could never find                
        'tartaric acid' and always wondered if 'cream of tartar' as             
        found in the kitchen was the same stuff. Never had the courage          
        to try it. Sounds like I should be glad I didn't.                       
                                                                                
        I have a friend and fellow 'keeper who has an Armenian                  
        gentleman as his mentor. This guy squeezes 1 lemon                      
        into their sugar syrup batch. sorry I don't know what a 'batch' is      
        in volume. This sounds like it would do the same as the vinegar         
        mentioned elsewhere in this thread.                                     
                                                                                
        Allen, thanks much for your advise on starting commercially.            
                                                                                
                                                                                
Tim Peters, Kirby VT                                                            
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KirBee Apiary, Bear Bait Honey                                                  
I rather be flying!