Apologies for the re-upload. I had a grievous typo on the first upload and had to fix it. TH-cam won’t let you keep comments when you re-upload a video so I’d like to give credit here to two people who commented on this video when it was live the first time… ----------------- Alexander Borsi said: Pro tip: Don't make as much (5lbs) and you can pour the batch of soft ball sugar directly into the mixing bowl, then cool the bowl down in the sink, so you can just put it right onto the mixer once it hits the target temp. AlexCren1 said: Lesson learned from candy making. Reserve a little of your water. Once you have mixed all the other ingredients together pour the reserved water down the sides of the pot to clear the granulated sugar from the sides of the pot. This keeps things from crystallizing later on. Also a rubber scraper to stir and clean the sides of your pot are a must. Not only is less of your end product wasted the longer length keeps your hand out of the hot sugar. I also recommend a small bowl of ice water near your work space. If it gets on your hand again you can just plunge your hand in immediately and lessen the burn. Sugar burns can be nasty! Otherwise this is one of the better videos of fondant making I have seen. Your consistency at the end is much better! ---------------- Thanks for the excellent tips!
I am so glad that you made this video! I have a place to send those fondant makers :) Do you have professional culinary training? I also remember your excellent bread baking video :) I'm going to provide this link for others. Thank you, as always.
Hi, Fred! Yes, I have culinary school training and some years in restaurants, but to be honest, TH-cam has been an excellent cooking teacher as well. Thanks for stopping by!
If you have a stainless steel mixing bowl (not plastic) and it will hold the entire batch, then pour/scrape the mixture from the pot into the bowl when it is just off the heat (freakin hot liquid) and then cool it in the mixing bowl out of the mixer of course. It sounds dangerous but is actually much safer than transferring a much stickier substance later. It also leaves virtually nothing behind in the pot (silicon scraper).
Vino Farm I also use silicon baking containers to pour the finished fondant into. They are about 200mm square and 50mm deep, I think that is about 10"x2". When it is firm I then turn out onto board, slice and wrap (cling film) and place in the freezer. I slice thinly as most of the time I place it in the bee space between the top bars and the inner cover as no fancy 'four seasons' boards for my horizontal hives ;")
If I may suggest you transfer the contents in a more liquid state before you cool bring the temperature down in the mixing bowl. I think it would have been less painful.
NewBee and getting ready for first winter ---- I dont have a big A$$ mixer and wondered if I can get by with boiling and not using the mixer step. Will is still set-up?
For anyone who is having their fondant crystallize, this is happening because there are undissolved sugar crystals when you go to mix it. A good way to prevent this is to put a lid on it when it first comes to a boil. You'll want to turn the heat down, but the lid will contain all of the steam, it will condense on the sides, and it will dissolve any crystals that remain. If that doesn't work, then you can start over really easily. Put it back in a clean pan. Add about 1/2 c water and bring it back to a boil. Bring it back to 235 degrees, but you don't need to keep it there this time since the sugar is already inverted. You can then just add that to your mixing bowl, wait for it to cool to 180, and then mix it up.
They ate/stored all this batch in about 2 weeks (in late fall). I made a second batch the same size and put that on the hives right after they finished the first batch and there was still fondant on the hives about 6 weeks later. I guess it depends on the weather. They slowed down when things got cold, but they are still nibbling on it.
I’ve tried this 3 times now and wasted loads and loads of sugar. The consistency is always granular instead of pliable. Unless my thermometer is absolutely rubbish this method doesn’t work.
Hi- I am looking for the video that explains why you transitioned from fondant to the mountain camp method. I have read that bees digest the fondant more easily. Was this not your experience? Is the fondant just too much work? I was going to try one hive of each to see how it goes, but would love your thoughts. Thank you!
I talk about it here: th-cam.com/video/OxTIOZZCyjM/w-d-xo.html Basically, it's WAY WAY easier and the bees consume the sugar BEFORE the fondant when given the choice. I know nothing about the difference in digestion, but I do know the bees come out fine and with more than a dozen hives, I have no interest in cooking that much fondant.
@@phpnotasp Sorry, I took that down because I don’t winterize that way anymore and don’t want to promote those methods. I’ve changed my thinking on winter over the past three years and now believe the way to go is FULL insulation year round and no winter feeding. Make sure they have stores in the fall (honey or syrup), wrap them tightly with insulation (no vents or upper entrances), and leave them alone. The past two winters they’ve come out in spring with zero losses and more than half their stores still in the hives. Insulation=FAR less food consumed over winter. No extra feeding necessary.
Clear and simple instructions - Thank you. I don't understand why you shape the fondant into balls or logs, when the flat sheets on parchment are perfect to fit inside the hive on top of the frames (after cutting into smaller portions, of course).
If I was going to put it right in the hive, I'd leave it flat. However, I was storing this in the fridge for a little while and rolling it up makes it fit in there better. Thanks for watching.
@@vinofarm Flat disks made by pouring the fondant onto parchment-lined paper plates will make fondant disks that will fit nicely into 1 gallon freezer bags. Will fit into freezer nicely, taking up minimal space. Nice video, though, even if I am viewing it more than 5 years later. lol
Vino Farm, This is what the box says: SUGAR, WHEAT SYRUP, PALM OIL, WATER, GLYCERIN, GUM TRAGACANTH, TAPIOCA STARCH, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), SODIUM ACETATE, ACETIC ACID Based on that data I think we’re leaning towards a No.
I appreciate your kind words. While this is definitely a suitable way to feed your bees, I’ve decided I’m going to skip fondant this year. I’ve made it every year but last year I also fed dry sugar and the bees gobbled up the dry sugar before the fondant. I added more dry sugar and they kept taking it. I’ve decided to go with only dry sugar this year to see how it goes. It’s way, way easier with nearly 20 colonies. There’s nothing wrong with fondant, aside from it being more work. But you should also see what happens when you add piles of dry sugar on paper on the tops of the frames. Thanks for watching!
Watch the video before this one. ("Vivaldi Boards") You basically just set it on top of the inner cover and the bees come up and nibble on it. I put this in my hives one week ago. One hive (the Flow Hive, largest one) had eaten about half of the fondant... in a week. The next strongest hive had started eating, but maybe consumed 1/10 of the fondant. The weakest hive (hive Left) had barely touched it. I will be posting videos about this later in the week! Yes, fondant is way easier than sugar water for handling and feeding... but making a batch takes a couple hours compared to 5-15 minutes for a batch of syrup. But the bees can't eat syrup over the winter.
I just made your recipe, but added a Tbsp of vinegar and a couple drops of Wintergreen essential oil. Worked out great! I should have dumped the liquid directly into the mixer and cooled to 180* less scraping. We are using the vivaldi boards with fondant as well. Thanks for posting your vids. Good luck this winter!
I just made this and it ended up grainy and dry. When I put it in the mixer it started to clump up like wet sand. I don't know what happened. Maybe I was too cautious with the thermometer and stayed just under soft ball for too much of the 15 mins? I did cut the recipe since I only had a small bag of sugar. Recipe I used: 4lb Sugar 1 2/3 cup water 1/2 tsp vinegar Anybody experience this?
yes, me too! i think the same as you, maybe i was to cautious with the Tº, and i stayed al the time stiring, maybe that wasn't good either. (sorry for my english, my language is spanish)
Yes. I'm going to be remixing one of my grainy batches today. It never seemed like fondant. Evidently the complete dissolving of the grains in the water is very important.
Steven Ogborn Some batches do and some turn into hard candy. I have not mastered this process! Either way, the bees will eat it. I have started just using dry sugar in my hives this year and the bees eat that too.
Woo hoo, it works ! My first batch is cooling. Thank you so much for the video, and after watching your other videos, I'm that much more of a believer in feeding my bees when they need it!
scumdog2099 I've never bought cake fondant so I'm not sure what the difference is. I think the reason to make it yourself is to control the ingredients and probably save money.
Good idea. I think I'll pour the hot sugar water directly into mixing bowl and cool in that. I want to add a little pollen powder and a few oils as well. Good job!
Thanks for taking the time to shoot, edit and upload this... and all your other videos as I understand it's not a quick same day process most of the time. I started beekeeping early this spring when I captured a swarm out of a tree and it was game on from there. Defiantly going to give this recipe a go here pretty soon for my bees. Thanks again.
You can make this recipe in under an hour. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. It's way easier the second time. Thanks for watching! Best of luck with your bees.
This is the first one I tried, and it failed miserably. Somebody below commented about the vinegar quantity and you’re right they did not add a teaspoon. There’s look like more of a quarter of a cup. This is what I don’t like about TH-cam you can’t see the thumbs down I’m guessing this had a ton of thumbs down rather than reading through comments, this is the result of equity
I followed to a tee and I’m a big foodie/cook/etc and despite following instruction and recipe- it only became a jelly goo. Can it be saved? Reheated ? I hate to waste it. I even added honey bee healthy at end and shipped the bejesus out of it w my kitchenaid. No fondant consistency. Help!
Did you pour it out on parchment and let it cool? It's goo until it cools. Either way, you can still give it to the bees. I am actually skipping the fondant this year and just doing dry sugar.
Vino Farm it’s like gummy jello in the parchment. Should I just lay it on top of brood frames on the parchment? It’s my first year and I really don’t want to kill them. They had a super of honey stores and three weeks later they had nothing. Literally nothing. So this feed is important. Thoughts? Also I have a ceracell top feeder- can I lay it in there and take out the plastic inserts in corners/middle? I think my Russians are either depleting and they’re angry or robbers have taken over that hive. It’s crazy when I go in to check.
Official Gimpy Gardener I’ve never had mine turn out like jello. Not sure what it could be. Did you use white granulated sugar? Are you sure you cooked it to the correct temp? Those are the two main factors. I have never added HBH at the end, so I wonder if that’s a possibility? Sorry I can’t be of more help. If it’s made from pure white granulated sugar, I think it’s fine to put in to the colony, but please don’t rely on my Opinion alone.
Vino Farm followed directions, ingredients etc. the only thing I can think of is maybe battery is low on thermometer and wasn’t accurate 🤷🏼♀️ so I think I’ll put in ceracell and put a few pine straw pieces on top JIC weather gets super warm (charleston SC) I think my Russians are gone. Looks like a death camp in front of hive. Rainy and cold to look into hive today. Italians still looking good.
The only thing I would suggest is to transfer the just boiled mixture to the blender then cool it down to 180F. Especially, since you are going to burn yourself anyway ;)
if you get your honey from the bees, you can boil it until the soft crack stage and make taffy. here's a link to a video for more details th-cam.com/video/E_flqDWOlpQ/w-d-xo.html
What should the hand feel be like once set...? Should it be smooth with no grainy feel? Or when working it should you still be able to feel some grainy like consistency? I’ve made it twice, it’s hard to tell from the video if mine is the same as yours or not!
@@vinofarm I've watched this like a dozen times and always thought you put HFCS in there. I'm an idiot. Just watched it again and didn't see any!! I'm going to make this and see how it turns out. I've not had success with other candy boards. I just lost a hive from a candy board that melted inside the hive and got all the bees.
My batch turned out too hard. More like a sugar brick. Ingredients say a tsp of vinegar but it sure looks like allot more in the video. Is this my issue? Not enough acid?
Seems like pouring the fondant into parchment lined shallow paper plates will yield thin disks that will provide greater surface area for more bees to tackle the fondant.
Use a teaspoon next time for easier self burning... for real... don't use a f*cking spoon for this amount AND don't scratch your stainless steel with it. Use a large wooden spoon. After all, nice idea😊
I thought I would only watch your Bee-Related videos, but now I think I will watch your future cooking-videos too (If thats still something you plan to do of course). Thanks again for the metric units =)
I will make this for this winter but will add some essential oils and maybe a little protein powder. good vid dude! Why do you have to put the sugar in a mixer? what does that do?
Question. I was thinking of doing fondant for my bees but have been taught that boiling sugar easily forms HMF and that is poisonous to bees? Is there any reason that you are boiling the mixture? Wouldn't just heating it be enough to make it easier to stir and solve?
Stefan Adolfsson someone told you wrong. Heating honey causes HMF, but it is not poisonous to anyone. It is undetectable except in a lab, and just proves that honey was heated to a temp higher than 105’F. (reheating honey can alter taste)
You state 5ml vinegar, but that certainly doesn't look like a tsp you put in... For 4.5 kg sugar I use 40ml lemon juice so maybe you meant 50ml vinegar?
GoBeeZerk The recipe is correct. Follow the recipe. (I don't want to give away my amazing TH-cam video editing skills, but there may have been a reshoot of the vinegar shot using water because I forgot to shoot the vinegar. You have a good eye. 100 internet points for you.)
Pour straight clorox on burn first..then let it do its thing few minutes before you run hand under cold water. Takes pain away..no blister either. I put lid on pan while boiling so that the steam runs down side of pan and prevents crystallization.
Here's another way without cooking it at all.. th-cam.com/video/XXbClNvO4Xg/w-d-xo.html What you make really isn't fondant, fondant is soft not hard.. you are making rock candy. (real fondant just mixes egg white, glucose syrup and powdered sugar and you knead it together by hand)
Tom Pfaelzer Hi Tom, I went to your channel but couldn't find your method for making fondant. Please explain how I might go about simplifying this recipe.
Not to "info bomb" your answer Vino Farms but I would like to add: you can use cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice for the acid. The acid is added to prevent a too rapid crystallization of the sugar. It should be added after the sugar is dissolved. Learned it is college I did!! :-) Great video, thank you for making. Wondering if I could add my pollen to the fondant?
Apologies for the re-upload. I had a grievous typo on the first upload and had to fix it. TH-cam won’t let you keep comments when you re-upload a video so I’d like to give credit here to two people who commented on this video when it was live the first time…
-----------------
Alexander Borsi said:
Pro tip: Don't make as much (5lbs) and you can pour the batch of soft ball sugar directly into the mixing bowl, then cool the bowl down in the sink, so you can just put it right onto the mixer once it hits the target temp.
AlexCren1 said:
Lesson learned from candy making. Reserve a little of your water. Once you have mixed all the other ingredients together pour the reserved water down the sides of the pot to clear the granulated sugar from the sides of the pot. This keeps things from crystallizing later on. Also a rubber scraper to stir and clean the sides of your pot are a must. Not only is less of your end product wasted the longer length keeps your hand out of the hot sugar. I also recommend a small bowl of ice water near your work space. If it gets on your hand again you can just plunge your hand in immediately and lessen the burn. Sugar burns can be nasty! Otherwise this is one of the better videos of fondant making I have seen. Your consistency at the end is much better!
----------------
Thanks for the excellent tips!
I don’t know shit about bees, but definitely a rubber scraper would have helped avoid burns!!😂
I am so glad that you made this video! I have a place to send those fondant makers :) Do you have professional culinary training? I also remember your excellent bread baking video :) I'm going to provide this link for others. Thank you, as always.
Hi, Fred! Yes, I have culinary school training and some years in restaurants, but to be honest, TH-cam has been an excellent cooking teacher as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Purchase a heatproof spatula to move the cooked fondant and help with cleanup.
If you have a stainless steel mixing bowl (not plastic) and it will hold the entire batch, then pour/scrape the mixture from the pot into the bowl when it is just off the heat (freakin hot liquid) and then cool it in the mixing bowl out of the mixer of course. It sounds dangerous but is actually much safer than transferring a much stickier substance later. It also leaves virtually nothing behind in the pot (silicon scraper).
GoBeeZerk Yes! This is a good tip. Another commenter said the same thing. I'm making a new batch tonight and will try this technique. Thanks!
Vino Farm I also use silicon baking containers to pour the finished fondant into. They are about 200mm square and 50mm deep, I think that is about 10"x2". When it is firm I then turn out onto board, slice and wrap (cling film) and place in the freezer. I slice thinly as most of the time I place it in the bee space between the top bars and the inner cover as no fancy 'four seasons' boards for my horizontal hives ;")
Thanks! Will try today. :) Nice video.
If I may suggest you transfer the contents in a more liquid state before you cool bring the temperature down in the mixing bowl. I think it would have been less painful.
Thanks!
For Canada.
Hello, do you feed your bees during the winter time? I live in Easton Southern mass, do you recommend I feed them?
NewBee and getting ready for first winter ---- I dont have a big A$$ mixer and wondered if I can get by with boiling and not using the mixer step. Will is still set-up?
It's worth a shot. The bees will still eat it whatever it looks like.
I wonder if I can use herbal tea instead of water and apple cider vinegar instead of white ?
Man....your videos are so well done! you got skills....you still like this fondant recipe?? where did you get it from ?
For anyone who is having their fondant crystallize, this is happening because there are undissolved sugar crystals when you go to mix it. A good way to prevent this is to put a lid on it when it first comes to a boil. You'll want to turn the heat down, but the lid will contain all of the steam, it will condense on the sides, and it will dissolve any crystals that remain.
If that doesn't work, then you can start over really easily. Put it back in a clean pan. Add about 1/2 c water and bring it back to a boil. Bring it back to 235 degrees, but you don't need to keep it there this time since the sugar is already inverted. You can then just add that to your mixing bowl, wait for it to cool to 180, and then mix it up.
Excellent video 😀 Thank you!
How long will that food last you? Any benefits over feeding regular granulated sugar?
They ate/stored all this batch in about 2 weeks (in late fall). I made a second batch the same size and put that on the hives right after they finished the first batch and there was still fondant on the hives about 6 weeks later. I guess it depends on the weather. They slowed down when things got cold, but they are still nibbling on it.
Would you add pollen to the fondant as it’s cooling for a power paddy?
I’ve tried this 3 times now and wasted loads and loads of sugar. The consistency is always granular instead of pliable. Unless my thermometer is absolutely rubbish this method doesn’t work.
This is exactly my experience. Comes out hard for all my efforts. May as well pour sugar onto the inner cover…
good work :)
corn syrup stops crystals while boiling
Thanks for adding kilos,C temps.
All the best from Norway
I'm also thanking you for metric measurement. 🦘🦘
Hi- I am looking for the video that explains why you transitioned from fondant to the mountain camp method. I have read that bees digest the fondant more easily. Was this not your experience? Is the fondant just too much work? I was going to try one hive of each to see how it goes, but would love your thoughts. Thank you!
I talk about it here: th-cam.com/video/OxTIOZZCyjM/w-d-xo.html
Basically, it's WAY WAY easier and the bees consume the sugar BEFORE the fondant when given the choice. I know nothing about the difference in digestion, but I do know the bees come out fine and with more than a dozen hives, I have no interest in cooking that much fondant.
@@vinofarm Video is now private. Can you make public please?
@@phpnotasp Sorry, I took that down because I don’t winterize that way anymore and don’t want to promote those methods. I’ve changed my thinking on winter over the past three years and now believe the way to go is FULL insulation year round and no winter feeding. Make sure they have stores in the fall (honey or syrup), wrap them tightly with insulation (no vents or upper entrances), and leave them alone. The past two winters they’ve come out in spring with zero losses and more than half their stores still in the hives. Insulation=FAR less food consumed over winter. No extra feeding necessary.
@@phpnotasp Full explanation here: th-cam.com/video/UKXgIdHpedo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=OaCvpBdwuBaOUofH
Mine was not runny like a batter. It was like wet sugar. I did follow the instructions and used a candy thermometer.
The bees will eat it anyway!
Does it help use white vinegar ?
Clear and simple instructions - Thank you. I don't understand why you shape the fondant into balls or logs, when the flat sheets on parchment are perfect to fit inside the hive on top of the frames (after cutting into smaller portions, of course).
If I was going to put it right in the hive, I'd leave it flat. However, I was storing this in the fridge for a little while and rolling it up makes it fit in there better. Thanks for watching.
@@vinofarm Flat disks made by pouring the fondant onto parchment-lined paper plates will make fondant disks that will fit nicely into 1 gallon freezer bags. Will fit into freezer nicely, taking up minimal space. Nice video, though, even if I am viewing it more than 5 years later. lol
As someone who has close ties with a baker, and has a ton of unused decorating fondant around, do you know if using that stuff would work?
Matthew Parody What are the ingredients? That would be important to check.
Vino Farm,
This is what the box says:
SUGAR, WHEAT SYRUP, PALM OIL, WATER, GLYCERIN, GUM TRAGACANTH, TAPIOCA STARCH, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), SODIUM ACETATE, ACETIC ACID
Based on that data I think we’re leaning towards a No.
Oh! It's for feeding bees in winter n early spring!
I thought you were showing us home made Candy. 😁😁😁🤔🤔🤗🤗🤗
If you add some flavorings, you totally could make some for your own consumption
What is the acidity of vinegar? As far as I can see, white vinegar is 5-20%, it's quite a scope. Where I live it's usually 13% :)
ok. checked, the required pH should be 4,7 :)
Man that's one corny song..LOVE IT👍
Lol, my pile of slop looks absolutely nothing like that. It was liquid after the boiling and then turned back grainy after it cooled down. To 80c
Friggin out and wicked think. i think i enjoy your vids because it makes me feel comfortable to be listening to a masshole.
That vinegar addition looked way more than 5ml. Could you confirm the volume please?
Follow the recipe. I forgot to shoot the vinegar addition and went back and just poured some water in there to get the shot. (youtube secrets)
Made it today. Thanks!
With one hive, I made 1/4 batch. I probably could have boiled for less time. Didn't get as white but final product works.
I like the music choice.
Me too! I can understand why some people wouldn't though.
About how long does it take in the Kitchen Aid mixer to become opaque?
+BroncoLvrs It was just a few minutes. I don't remember exactly because I made this a year ago and haven't made it since. Less than 5 minutes.
Greetings 2019. Making my yearly stop by this video for winter prep. Thanks again. You’ve sustained my bees year after year.
I appreciate your kind words. While this is definitely a suitable way to feed your bees, I’ve decided I’m going to skip fondant this year. I’ve made it every year but last year I also fed dry sugar and the bees gobbled up the dry sugar before the fondant. I added more dry sugar and they kept taking it. I’ve decided to go with only dry sugar this year to see how it goes. It’s way, way easier with nearly 20 colonies. There’s nothing wrong with fondant, aside from it being more work. But you should also see what happens when you add piles of dry sugar on paper on the tops of the frames. Thanks for watching!
Have you ever tried marshmallow fondant? It's faster, easier, and there's much less risk of burning yourself!
So mine never turned opaque. It dried with crystals. What did I do wrong??
so, how do you feed this to the bees? Does it last longer than the sugar water? Just put it in the hive in a bowl? seems way easier than sugar water
Watch the video before this one. ("Vivaldi Boards") You basically just set it on top of the inner cover and the bees come up and nibble on it. I put this in my hives one week ago. One hive (the Flow Hive, largest one) had eaten about half of the fondant... in a week. The next strongest hive had started eating, but maybe consumed 1/10 of the fondant. The weakest hive (hive Left) had barely touched it. I will be posting videos about this later in the week!
Yes, fondant is way easier than sugar water for handling and feeding... but making a batch takes a couple hours compared to 5-15 minutes for a batch of syrup. But the bees can't eat syrup over the winter.
thanks, i was just coming back to say that i found the answer on the vivaldi board video - thanks for your videos, i learn a lot from them!
You can't feed sugar water in winter, it will freeze and the bee's can't process it. Fondant is already processed for them
I just made your recipe, but added a Tbsp of vinegar and a couple drops of Wintergreen essential oil. Worked out great! I should have dumped the liquid directly into the mixer and cooled to 180* less scraping. We are using the vivaldi boards with fondant as well. Thanks for posting your vids. Good luck this winter!
I just made this and it ended up grainy and dry. When I put it in the mixer it started to clump up like wet sand. I don't know what happened. Maybe I was too cautious with the thermometer and stayed just under soft ball for too much of the 15 mins? I did cut the recipe since I only had a small bag of sugar.
Recipe I used:
4lb Sugar
1 2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp vinegar
Anybody experience this?
yes, me too! i think the same as you, maybe i was to cautious with the Tº, and i stayed al the time stiring, maybe that wasn't good either. (sorry for my english, my language is spanish)
Yes. I'm going to be remixing one of my grainy batches today. It never seemed like fondant. Evidently the complete dissolving of the grains in the water is very important.
@@peterfletcher8951 and how did that go? I e tried this several times with no success
I wonder Would distilled white vinegar work
Does this stay soft even after cooling down?
Steven Ogborn Some batches do and some turn into hard candy. I have not mastered this process! Either way, the bees will eat it. I have started just using dry sugar in my hives this year and the bees eat that too.
@@vinofarm Thanks. I was asking because i want to make it to where it is pliable, or scoopable with a hive tool.
Woo hoo, it works ! My first batch is cooling. Thank you so much for the video, and after watching your other videos, I'm that much more of a believer in feeding my bees when they need it!
is there any difference between cake fondant you buy and this, or is it just cheaper to make your own?
scumdog2099 I've never bought cake fondant so I'm not sure what the difference is. I think the reason to make it yourself is to control the ingredients and probably save money.
Thank you for this and it helps me in first year in bee keeping in the uk
Good idea. I think I'll pour the hot sugar water directly into mixing bowl and cool in that. I want to add a little pollen powder and a few oils as well. Good job!
Thanks for taking the time to shoot, edit and upload this... and all your other videos as I understand it's not a quick same day process most of the time. I started beekeeping early this spring when I captured a swarm out of a tree and it was game on from there. Defiantly going to give this recipe a go here pretty soon for my bees. Thanks again.
You can make this recipe in under an hour. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. It's way easier the second time. Thanks for watching! Best of luck with your bees.
Just finished my first batch, Thanks.
This is the first one I tried, and it failed miserably. Somebody below commented about the vinegar quantity and you’re right they did not add a teaspoon. There’s look like more of a quarter of a cup. This is what I don’t like about TH-cam you can’t see the thumbs down I’m guessing this had a ton of thumbs down rather than reading through comments, this is the result of equity
Can you and cinnamon or oils to the mix
Can you add supplements like Honey B Healthy and pollen powder to this recipe?
I wouldn't, but I'm sure modifications are possible with some experimentation.
Hope the whisk worked out quicker/better for you :)
The whisk was very helpful! Thank you!
I followed to a tee and I’m a big foodie/cook/etc and despite following instruction and recipe- it only became a jelly goo. Can it be saved? Reheated ? I hate to waste it. I even added honey bee healthy at end and shipped the bejesus out of it w my kitchenaid. No fondant consistency. Help!
Did you pour it out on parchment and let it cool? It's goo until it cools. Either way, you can still give it to the bees. I am actually skipping the fondant this year and just doing dry sugar.
Vino Farm it’s like gummy jello in the parchment. Should I just lay it on top of brood frames on the parchment? It’s my first year and I really don’t want to kill them. They had a super of honey stores and three weeks later they had nothing. Literally nothing. So this feed is important. Thoughts? Also I have a ceracell top feeder- can I lay it in there and take out the plastic inserts in corners/middle? I think my Russians are either depleting and they’re angry or robbers have taken over that hive. It’s crazy when I go in to check.
Official Gimpy Gardener I’ve never had mine turn out like jello. Not sure what it could be. Did you use white granulated sugar? Are you sure you cooked it to the correct temp? Those are the two main factors. I have never added HBH at the end, so I wonder if that’s a possibility? Sorry I can’t be of more help. If it’s made from pure white granulated sugar, I think it’s fine to put in to the colony, but please
don’t rely on my
Opinion alone.
Vino Farm followed directions, ingredients etc. the only thing I can think of is maybe battery is low on thermometer and wasn’t accurate 🤷🏼♀️ so I think I’ll put in ceracell and put a few pine straw pieces on top JIC weather gets super warm (charleston SC) I think my Russians are gone. Looks like a death camp in front of hive. Rainy and cold to look into hive today. Italians still looking good.
That looks like more than 5ml vinegar?
Yeah, I didn't get the shot at the time and re-shot it with water after for the video... Follow the recipe!
The only thing I would suggest is to transfer the just boiled mixture to the blender then cool it down to 180F. Especially, since you are going to burn yourself anyway ;)
Bingo
if you get your honey from the bees, you can boil it until the soft crack stage and make taffy. here's a link to a video for more details th-cam.com/video/E_flqDWOlpQ/w-d-xo.html
Cool idea. Thanks!
What should the hand feel be like once set...? Should it be smooth with no grainy feel? Or when working it should you still be able to feel some grainy like consistency? I’ve made it twice, it’s hard to tell from the video if mine is the same as yours or not!
What is the difference between syrup and fondant for bees 🐝😔. When you will use this or that ?
Syrup when it's warm. Fondant/sugar when it's cold. Syrup freezes solid up here after October.
We don't have corn syrup uin the UK, what eles could I use?
I don’t use corn syrup.
@@vinofarm Don't you have high fructose corn syrup in the recipe? I can only find light corn syrup, where did you find the HFCS?
@@smeddows NO HFCS at all! Just granulated sugar, water and a tiny bit of vinegar.
@@vinofarm I've watched this like a dozen times and always thought you put HFCS in there. I'm an idiot. Just watched it again and didn't see any!!
I'm going to make this and see how it turns out. I've not had success with other candy boards. I just lost a hive from a candy board that melted inside the hive and got all the bees.
Is this the same as cake fondant
A "HEAT PROOF" spatula works so much better than a spoon. Candy makers tip.
like silicon?
@@Andcoly Yes.
Quick tip for the parchment paper.. if you screw it up into a ball first then pull it out flat, it won’t try to roll back up into its original shape.
Just used this today. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing, just a quick question what about this issue about HMF, which can be created at highter temp. when boiling ? have a great day
the bag of sugar said hannafords on it and ur text had the word "wicked" im guessing your from the new england area :p
Massachusetts. Home of all things wicked.
My batch turned out too hard. More like a sugar brick. Ingredients say a tsp of vinegar but it sure looks like allot more in the video. Is this my issue? Not enough acid?
Sorry I had to opt out . The music was driving me crazy. Is that like catch falling star and put it in your pocket.
Why make into balls or logs? They can't fit into the hive that large.
It was just to put it in the fridge. I flattened it out in the hive.
When you add the vinegar it looks a lot more than 5 ml?
Sorry, just read a coment below!!
I tried your recipe for two year now and it does not work. The sugar come out very brittle
Can you freeze it?
I just put it in the fridge, but I’m sure freezing is fine.
Seems like pouring the fondant into parchment lined shallow paper plates will yield thin disks that will provide greater surface area for more bees to tackle the fondant.
Use a teaspoon next time for easier self burning... for real... don't use a f*cking spoon for this amount AND don't scratch your stainless steel with it. Use a large wooden spoon. After all, nice idea😊
Oh, I wish I was a bee 😥 . A really fat one.
Thanks for including metric for your non-US viewers
I thought I would only watch your Bee-Related videos, but now I think I will watch your future cooking-videos too (If thats still something you plan to do of course).
Thanks again for the metric units =)
You gotta try sourdough bread when I get into that! I bake in metric!!!
Beet sugar or cane sugar?
granulated cane sugar
@@vinofarm , ok thanks for the info.. take care. Buzz Buzz
I will make this for this winter but will add some essential oils and maybe a little protein
powder. good vid dude!
Why do you have to put the sugar in a mixer? what does that do?
What would happen if you mixed some pollen in? Would there be any benifit to the bees?
Yes, in fact there are some bee fondants you can buy ready made that include pollen in them.
It helps the bees regrow after winter
Sugar burns are the worst! It’s like napalm. ♨️♨️♨️
Why vinegar?
Did not work for me at all. We may have different sugar in the UK.
Hello sir and other commenters. How long could i keep the logs in the fridge. I want to do this but am not sure i would use it all at once.
A long time... Many months. The bees will happily eat it a year later.
@@vinofarm thank you!
Can you add protein?
JAMES EDWARDS I’m not sure how you would add protein to this recipe.
Question.
I was thinking of doing fondant for my bees but have been taught that boiling sugar easily forms HMF and that is poisonous to bees?
Is there any reason that you are boiling the mixture? Wouldn't just heating it be enough to make it easier to stir and solve?
Stefan Adolfsson someone told you wrong. Heating honey causes HMF, but it is not poisonous to anyone. It is undetectable except in a lab, and just proves that honey was heated to a temp higher than 105’F. (reheating honey can alter taste)
@@reganwestbrook4753 You are taking about honey but I'm talking about white sugar.
You state 5ml vinegar, but that certainly doesn't look like a tsp you put in... For 4.5 kg sugar I use 40ml lemon juice so maybe you meant 50ml vinegar?
GoBeeZerk The recipe is correct. Follow the recipe. (I don't want to give away my amazing TH-cam video editing skills, but there may have been a reshoot of the vinegar shot using water because I forgot to shoot the vinegar. You have a good eye. 100 internet points for you.)
I caught that too
Pour straight clorox on burn first..then let it do its thing few minutes before you run hand under cold water. Takes pain away..no blister either.
I put lid on pan while boiling so that the steam runs down side of pan and prevents crystallization.
Boiling sugar syrup makes it toxic for bees
This is how fondant is made. It does not kill bees.
Every time I see "fondant" i hear it in Buddy from Cake Boss's voice
My kitchen is going to be soooo sticky...
Here's another way without cooking it at all.. th-cam.com/video/XXbClNvO4Xg/w-d-xo.html
What you make really isn't fondant, fondant is soft not hard.. you are making rock candy. (real fondant just mixes egg white, glucose syrup and powdered sugar and you knead it together by hand)
This is clearly not a tsp of vinegar that you put in there
You’re right. Follow the recipe. I reshot that clip with water because I didn’t get it the first time when I was recording.
That looked like a lot more than a teaspoon of vinegar.
Is this real
kee kee no
kee kee haha jk yes it is. Too many were feeding their bees beer
horrible music
Why mixing again? Too complicated using too many things. This can be done easier.
Tom Pfaelzer Hi Tom, I went to your channel but couldn't find your method for making fondant. Please explain how I might go about simplifying this recipe.
What does the vinegar do?
It's an acid that (along with cooking) helps break down the sucrose (table sugar) into fructose and glucose.
Thank you for the valuable information!
Not to "info bomb" your answer Vino Farms but I would like to add: you can use cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice for the acid. The acid is added to prevent a too rapid crystallization of the sugar. It should be added after the sugar is dissolved. Learned it is college I did!! :-) Great video, thank you for making. Wondering if I could add my pollen to the fondant?
I was told that cream of tartar isn't good for bees. Not true?
@@annegusmano8682 you are so right! I didn't know. Here is a good article that explains what to and not to use.: www.beeculture.com/sugar-for-bees/
How Long do you mix it for?