tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post6626486535035212527..comments2023-12-24T23:45:43.679-05:00Comments on The Bee Journal: Patty Cake, Sugar Cake, Yummy said the BeesBee Magic Chronicles for Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06818365668819339658noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post-36207492252090484422009-11-08T01:15:17.509-05:002009-11-08T01:15:17.509-05:00You have some lucky bees, Barbara. I was shocked ...You have some lucky bees, Barbara. I was shocked to find that there was corn starch in powdered sugar after you posted about it. Thanks!The Beneficial Beehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13250221027443461356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post-7264789124106938912009-11-05T21:29:49.486-05:002009-11-05T21:29:49.486-05:00Mark, yes I think it is used in the recipe for fon...Mark, yes I think it is used in the recipe for fondant. I have read the fondant recipe in one of my books (just can't recall which one at the moment). It wasn't hard to make. I think that one involved a bit of cooking and the candy can be made harder. Fondant is used to fill the tiny holes in queen cages - that's what the bees eat up to release the queen.Bee Magic Chronicles for Kidshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06818365668819339658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post-3984460238693941352009-11-05T20:48:58.126-05:002009-11-05T20:48:58.126-05:00Hi Rat. Icing sugar is used to make icings for ca...Hi Rat. Icing sugar is used to make icings for cake and most bags should be clearly marked with the ingrediants. The corn starch probably helps give the sugar a thickening effect. I had a bag of it in my kitchen and the ingrediants say: refined sugar, corn starch.<br /><br />I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure "confectioners sugar" IS caster sugar - it's used to sprinkle on cakes and desserts to make them look pretty. It's just white cane sugar but ground really fine. "Powdered sugar" - that one is probably caster sugar as well. Maybe see if you can read the label to be see if anything has been added to the sugar.<br />Icing sugar IS used to dust the hives for varroa mites. The sugar and cornstarch interfere with the mite's ability to hold on to the bee's fur and it looses it's grip and falls off. The bees then lick each other clean, consuming the sugar and corn starch. They aren't harmed per se although corn starch isn't something a bee would normally eat, so if you did use it, I don't think that'd be a terrible thing.Bee Magic Chronicles for Kidshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06818365668819339658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post-85622545291872815172009-11-05T17:21:21.425-05:002009-11-05T17:21:21.425-05:00By "icing sugar" do you mean "power...By "icing sugar" do you mean "powered sugar" or "confectioners sugar". If so - uh-oh! I've been using that.RAThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10116429541709326996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637106756798831463.post-21999458750656978602009-11-04T01:49:43.151-05:002009-11-04T01:49:43.151-05:00Hello, Barbara! Interesting post! I wonder if your...Hello, Barbara! Interesting post! I wonder if your caster sugar candy is simular to fondant? I read that a lot of beeks use fondant, which is used in bakeries, to feed their bees in the winter. I looked into it, but think I'd rather stick to something more natural, something like you're doing. And the fact that its easy makes it even better for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com