# Use for plastic foundation.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Candy boards that sit in the hive just likeframes of honey.

http://turtlerockfarm.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/making-candy-boards/

 Al


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

I would imagine that this has to be a hard candy, nothing flexable or meltable, right? What would be the melting point of the plastic frame? How hot can you pour the candy? Do you have a recipe that you can share? This site didn't list their recipe. Sounds like a good use for my plastic frames!


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

i guess i am kinda confused about the hard candy boards---when we make the syrup for them it says to put the sugar in after you turn the burner off because it could crystallize and that would kill the bees. does cooking it to a certain stage stop it from crystallizing?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

From the sembabees.org site.
Candy Board
Use: Winter feeding.
Recipe:
The formula for the fondant candy supplied by Dr. Roger Hoopingarner
15 lbs. sugar
3 lbs. white corn syrup
4 cups water
Â½ tsp. cream of tartar
(smaller quantities can be made using the ratios above)
Dissolve the sugar in water and stir while *heating the mixture to 240 degrees F.* Let the syrup cool to about 180 degrees F., then beat until thickened and pour into the board ( like an inner cover with higher sides and no hole) to harden. Once the candy is hardened boards can be put onto the colonies candy side down over the top frames. Some beekeepers pour the candy into wax paper lined molds and then put these blocks on the frames while the inner cover is placed, with the deep side down, over them. Make the blocks no thicker than the depth of the inner cover rim. 

We stopped doing it this way because I had read that big clumps can fall between the frames and knock the queen from the cluster to die. We put ours on card board cut from ceral boxes.

Let cool to 180 degrees F, mix up and quickly pour into mold of your choice.

If you have every made rock candy you know how IMPORTANT the temp is. Do it exactly at those temp. *Use a candy thermoter*

The search for bee keeping candy boards resulted in well over 14 pages with many recipes some the same some different.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Really a good use for plastic foundation.

 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

mare said:


> i guess i am kinda confused about the hard candy boards---when we make the syrup for them it says to put the sugar in after you turn the burner off because it could crystallize and that would kill the bees. does cooking it to a certain stage stop it from crystallizing?


you dont want to let it get brown ,( camelize ) or burn 

mare you cook til about 240 but you STIR STIR STIR so it does not brown ,,, then pour it out and it will get hard ,,, what I all ways call a candy bar , its like making peanut brittle ,, not as hard crack , , more like soft crack ,,, and not carmelised ,,


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

here is the one that I make 

FONDANT BEE CANDY RECIPE
This recipe is our choice for making a good fondant candy for the bees. We have
chosen not to use corn syrup because of GMO and of all the hybridization that the
corn goes through. It has prove not be beneficial for the bees. Cream of tartar is
excluded for the same reasons.
""""the above is not why I used this ,, I used this recipe for the simple reason that 
I did not have any corn syrup or Cream of tartar and it is a 30 mile one way run
to a store """""
1. Use 1 part water to 4 parts sugar.
1 cup of sugar weighs 8 ounces.
2. Add 1/4 tsp. vinegar per pound of sugar.
The vinegar helps to break down the sugar as it cooks and will be evaporated.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until boiling begins.
If you try to make the candy without stirring it will yield a transparent gel
that will be extremely sticky.
4. Boil covered for 3 minutes without stirring.
5. Boil until mixture reaches 234F. Do not go over this temperature since this
will cause the mixture to caramelize and will be harmful to the bees.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 200F.
This will cause the candy to have an increased thickness.
7. Whip with a whisk until whiteness occurs.
8. Quickly pour onto waxed paper having a towel beneath. Be sure that the
towel is not fluffy since it will depress the cake&#8217;s width. This method will
make a nice cake.
9. Allow to cool undisturbed.
10. Remove waxed paper and store each cake in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
The cakes can be handled as plates, but may be a little fudgy. They will be
completely white with whiter areas inside. Tiny crystals will shine from a
broken edge. Place fondant directly over the brood cluster so the bees can
have access to it.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Good recipe Tom. Do you think it would stand up in a hive if poured on a plastic frame and foundation? 
'
 Al


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