Bee Candy Board Recipe
This recipe is our choice for making a good winter feed for the bees. We recommend using pure cane sugar and caution against including any liquid additives, as they may keep the candy from solidifying.
1. Use 1 part water to 4 parts pure cane sugar. (Note: 1 cup of sugar weighs 8 ounces)
2. 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.
3. Boil covered for 3 minutes without stirring. Make sure your pot is large enough that it will not boil over (12 quart or larger).
4. Continue to boil without stirring until mixture reaches 240°F. Do not go over this temperature since this will cause the mixture to caramelize and will be harmful to the bees.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 200°F, then whip with whisk, wand or similar hand blender.
6. Quickly pour into candy tray lined with paper towels. You may want to cover your surface under the tray with wax paper or a bath towel.
7. Allow to cool undisturbed for several hours or overnight.
8. Place candy board directly over the brood cluster so the bees have access to it.
NOTES FOR ISABEE’S 14 LB. CANDY TRAY -
Estimate time – 1 hour, 30 minutes
7 cups of water
28 cups of sugar
Using a 12 quart or larger pot – Heat water. Add sugar and stir to incorporate. Stir constantly until boiling. Cover and boil for 3 minutes (watch to make sure it doesn’t boil over)
1. Uncover and continue to boil without stirring until mixture reaches 240ºF
2. Remove from heat and cool to 200ºF, about 20-30 minutes
3. Whip until opaque and a sheen develops on the top, pour into tray lined with paper towels
This will fill a 10-frame size tray about 3/4 inch thick
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