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Candy boards are an excellent way to put some top insulation and emergency food on your hive for the winter.  

Recipe:
60 pounds sugar
5 liters of water
1/4 cup vinegar
(this recipe will make four ten frame candy boards that are about 1 1/4 inches thick...this ratio can be scaled to the number of candy boards you are making)

Mix 50 pounds of sugar and 5 liters water.  Heat on high.  When sugar dissolved add the additional 10 pounds of sugar.  Stir constantly. Heat until 240 degrees.  Can check with candy thermometer or infrared thermometer.  Pour carefully into candy boards.

When at 240 degrees, you may want to pour a couple tablespoons onto a piece of wood to ensure it sets hard before pouring into your candy board or aluminum pan.  

Please bring 15 pounds of sugar for each candy board you are going to make.  This year we are not going to add soy protein but you could add 2 lbs of soy protein per batch made. We will have propane burners, pots, propane and thermometers.  If you have any of these items, please bring them to help your fellow beekeepers.

Plan for about 1 hour for each 4 candy boards that your are making. 

Please bring an inner cover for each candy board being made.  We will provide 1 1/2 inch shims ($3 per shim)  We will have duct tape to attach the shims to the inner covers.

You can also bring aluminum foil pans (about 3 inches high) and pour your candy boards into them. Bring two aluminum foil pan for each hive that you have.  Instead of a full candy board, you will have chunks of candy to put at the top of your hive.  

If you want to bring some snacks to share or a few dollars to cover the cost of the propane, the host would be host appreciative.  

It is a great time hanging out, watching sugar boil, and chatting about bees.  You can also just stop by to see what the craziness of candy boards is all about.  Maybe learn something from your fellow beekeepers about overwintering hives if you are a newbee.