Confused again...

[VolunteerK9]

In several posts about feeding, it has been said over and over again that when making syrup not to boil the mixture after adding the sugar as it will make the bees sick. Just looked up how to make fondant after reading another post on feeding fondant, and it says to heat the mixture to 240 degrees which is past boiling. What am I missing here?

[BjornBee]

I think the recipes are from a time long ago (perhaps newly published or repeated, but old just the same) and they produce a product nothing like the commercial fondant on the market today that many refer too.

The old recipes made for a product that reminds of the sugar candy in peanut brittle. Very hard and breakable.

The commercial fondant, which is not much more expensive than making it yourself if you buy the sugar, products, and factor in time, is not this same super heated mixture.

The commercial fondant in the consistency of molding clay. Gooey when warn, and very firm when cold. But not heated or crystallized in any way. The sugar molecules are still intact to some degree.

[VolunteerK9]

 Couldnt figure out when it was called syrup it wasnt ok to boil, but if it was called fondant it was. Thanks

[Michael Bush]

Boiling isn't the issue.  Burning is.  If you scorch the syrup, it's not good.  If you don't scorch it it's fine.  Boiling risks scorching but doesn't necessarily scorch it.

[VolunteerK9]

Okie Doke. I knew there was something I was missing.

[deknow]

The commercial fondant in the consistency of molding clay. Gooey when warn, and very firm when cold. But not heated or crystallized in any way. The sugar molecules are still intact to some degree.

i believe that commercial ("poured") fondant is manufactured by heating the mixture...and that it's consistency is due to controlled crystallization.

rolled fondant is different...but also contains glycerin and gelatin.  is this what you are feeding your bees?

deknow