1. To make the autumn (fall) bee syrup you need 2 lb of white refined sugar to 1 pint of water. 6 lb of sugar makes about 8 pints.
2. Add the sugar to a large pan. The one shown is a jam pan. It’s big, it has handles and the pouring end is pointed.
3. Measure out the water you need. Naturally the amount of sugar you use will dictate this.
4. Add the water to the sugar in the pan. You will probably get bubbles coming-up and that is ok.
5. On a medium heat slowly heat up sugar and water mixture.
6. Stir the mixture so that the sugar dissolves into the water and none of the sugar sticks to the pan. Be sure not to over heat the pan. You want the contents of the pan to dissolve and not to boil!
7. Leave to cool. I use tea-towel balanced on a wooden spoon to cover the pan.
This should prevent insects (wasps) from visiting and floating on the syrup!
8. Once cooled, the liquid is a clear slightly yellow colour.
9. For convenience, I decant some of the syrup into a jug.
10. Then I decant the contents of the jug into bottles.
Do you ever have the autumn syrup crystallize on you? This will be our first time finding out although we will be adding a little lemon juice, which is supposed to prevent that.
I haven’t had the syrup crystallise, although I haven’t kept the syrup for long because I have fed it all to the bees. The longest period I have kept it for is about a month and it hadn’t crystalised in that time.
No experience of our own at all yet. Just fretful after reading of Linda’s experience and having visions of the stuff hardening in the feeder. Then again some folks feed the bees with dry sugar so it seems they might cope.
Do you ever have the autumn syrup crystallize on you? This will be our first time finding out although we will be adding a little lemon juice, which is supposed to prevent that.
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2010/11/it-is-so-hard-to-make-21-syrup.html
I haven’t had the syrup crystallise, although I haven’t kept the syrup for long because I have fed it all to the bees. The longest period I have kept it for is about a month and it hadn’t crystalised in that time.
Have you had a different experience?
No experience of our own at all yet. Just fretful after reading of Linda’s experience and having visions of the stuff hardening in the feeder. Then again some folks feed the bees with dry sugar so it seems they might cope.
Very interesting!
I am going to have a go at your recipe – and will be extra careful when closing the lid.
Yes, be care 🙂
When I read the title of your post, I thought it meant a syrup made from bees, not for them… I am a dopey dog. Your factoid page is great!
I am not sure whether anyone has tried making syrup from bees. It would certainly catch attention on the blogosphere – watch this space!
Thanks for the comments.