In article <[log in to unmask]>, Ruary Rudd
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>From: Norman Cot=E9 <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: 05 December 1998 13:44
>Subject: Re: Sugar syrup in winter!?!?
>
>
>>Please explain to me.  What is Fondant and how is it made???
>
>>
>It is a soft sugar fudge.
>
>Take one part of granulated sugar to 5 parts water, dissolve it and boil =
>for
>about 2 minutes until a temperature of 234 degrees Fahrenheit.
>Take of the heat and cool the vessel ( and syrup) by immersion in a basin=
> of
>cold water stirring thoroughly, when the mixture starts whitening decant =
>it
>into moulds containing about 3 lbs.
>
>The tradition in Ireland was to give the bees a Christmas present of Cand=
>y
>on St. Stephen's day ( Boxing Day).
>
>Ruary Rudd
>[log in to unmask]
>Westgate,
>Waterville,
> Co. Kerry
 
 
This is not the product we use or advocate. (Nothing wrong with it, just
very labour intensive to make yourself and expensive if you buy it ready
made.) So far as I am aware this is usually known as 'candy' or 'bee
candy' and is, as stated, placed as cakes on top of the cluster, much
the same way as fondant.
 
Fondant, at least the type we use, is a mechanically produced white
substance containing, in variable proportions according to which quality
you buy, Powdered white sugar, glucose syrup, invert sugar syrup, and
possibly dry invert sugar, plus it has about a 12 to 16 % water content.
It is reasonably soft so can be cut and pressed to shape if blocks do
not suit you.
 
It is generally available from bakery supply companies in smallish
quantities, where they carry it as a stock line. Bakeries use it as
icing for cakes, so it may be sold as fondant icing. There are of course
other icings as well, but it is the fondant type you need. They will
also usually get you a good deal if you buy a pallet load, and we find
it to be about 10% more expensive than white sugar based on dry weight
equivalent. In continental Europe there are varieties of this product
especially developed for bees which require the expenditure of very
little energy on the bees part on inversion and storage, and we are
experimenting with a German version this winter. It is also very
important to find out about the constituents of the type you buy so ask
for a spec. If it contains any ACID derived ingredients DO NOT use it.
 
In the UK it comes in 28lb blocks inside a plastic wrapper, all inside a
cardboard box. We cut it into quarters using a new garden spade kept in
hot water and bag each piece in an HD polythene bag which is then sealed
at the neck. You can cut and bag a tonne using two guys in about an
hour. This gives 320 blocks, and colonies should be given 1 to 4 blocks
according to their size. We never use more than two at a time as this is
sufficient to span even the largest clusters ( we are happy if every
seam of bees in the cluster is, at some point, in contact with the open
cut on the fondant bag.). When they use it up you just give them more,
whatever the state of the weather temperature wise. Obviously, in
extreme cold conditions where you need to wrap colonies there are
practicality difficulties.
 
Most of the detail on this has already been posted by Allen Dick ( and
quite recently too! ) so rather than set it all out again I would refer
you to this posting in late October this year which is a summary of
private exchanges between us.
 
I hope this makes the nature of the product clearer, but if you have any
further questions on this you can respond direct to me if you do not
want to put it out on the list.
 
Kind regards to all
 
Murray
--
Murray McGregor