Sugar Bricks for Honey Bees
Sugar bricks are a supplemental food source that can be given to bees in winter when their own honey supplies are lacking to prevent starvation. The ingredients used in this recipe are from the BetterBee website. The freeze-dryer method of preparing the sugar bricks is our original idea and trial of preparation. I am including the instructions for dehydration from the Better Bee website.
Servings: 3 to 4 sugar bricks
Cost: $5
Find more homesteading projects at www.kowalskimountain.com !
Equipment
- Feeeze Dryer
Ingredients
- 14 cups 6.25 pounds granulated white sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp Honey B Healthy
- pans to bake the sugar bricks no taller than 1" deep
Instructions
- This recipe is most easily mixed in a very large bowl or bucket. I used a 5-gallon bucket for a double batch.
- Measure white sugar and pour it into bucket.
- In a separate bowl, add the apple cider vinegar. citric acid and Honey B Healthy and mix well until the citric acid is dissolved.
- Slowly add the vinegar mixture to the sugar and stir until completely mixed. I used a garden auger attached to a cordless drill to complete this step. A paint mixer paddle for a drill also works, or you can mix by hand.
- Line pans with parchment paper. Add sugar to the pans and pack the sugar tightly until it is firm and level. I used a potato masher, but a rolling pin will work as well. Trim excess parchment paper.
- If desired, score the sugar bricks with a knife so that they can be easily broken into pieces later.
- FREEZE DRYER METHOD
- Prepare freeze dryer according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the sugar to cover.
- Close value on freeze dryer and load covered trays of unfrozen sugar bricks into the freeze dryer. (No pre-freezing needed).
- To monitor the sugar bricks for puffing, do NOT add the insulated pad.
- Seal the door and press start to begin the freeze-dryer process. This takes approximately 11 hours.
- Once finished, remove sugar bricks and seal them in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to ensure freshness.
- DEHYDRATOR OR OVEN METHOD
- Place pans in the oven or dehydrator. Set the temperature to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake or dehydrate until very hard. May take 8 to 36 hours. If necessary, you can pause the baking process to use the oven for another purpose, or leave the premises.
- Once the sugar bricks are very hard and completely dry. Allow to cool. Store in an air-tight container until needed.
Notes
I find measuring the sugar by weight is easier and more accurate than scooping. However, scooping is fine if you don't have a food scale.
It's important to use real apple cider vinegar that contains the mother for this recipe.
The pans to make the sugar bricks should be no deeper than 1" thick. The thicker the sugar bricks, the longer they will take to dry. If baking in the oven, a jelly roll pan works well. See the link in "Shop This Post" for the perfectly sized 9 1/2" x 7"x 1" stainless steel trays. These stainless steel pans can be used in the oven. If they will fit into your dehydrator, are appropriate for dehydrator use. HOWEVER, plastic trays are best for use in the dehydrator.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If using metal trays in a dehydrator, only food-safe, stainless steel trays are safe for use in a dehydrator.
