Bee Check In

I checked on the bees this week, while the weather was warm.   All 4 hives are doing fine.

WOOT!!

Here's a pic of the cluster in #4 under the quilt box, eating away at the sugar.  They're really happy!

I have to give credit to Rusty, from HoneybeeSuite, who gave me the idea for the quilt boxes because I really think that's what's making the difference this year [and last].  

Only one of the hives had a moisture issue in the quilt and that was because I had forgotten to put shims between the quilt box and the next lid up.   The cedar chips in that box were pretty wet, as was the denim liner under the chips.

I added the shims and all should be fine now.   The bees inside were doing OK anyway.  This week the weather will be warm and I'll check the chips in a few days to make sure they're drying out.

Maybe I'll start the spring with 4 hives?  
Maybe I'll get a real harvest this year?
Maybe I've figured out the key to overwintering here?

Stay tuned!

Citrus Sugars

I showed you the citrus salts I made a couple of days ago. 

Well.

I made some citrus sugars at the same time.    Because if you're going to zest one lime, you might as well zest another.   And another.   And then a lemon or two or three while you're at it.   And then stir that zest into sugar and make yourself a jar of lemon sugar and then a jar of lime sugar.

They're so good. 

Have I said that before?


For the sugars, I decided to use a whole cup of sugar for every fruit I zested.    The flavors were more delicate that way.

Delicate is good.   Sweet and delicate is even better.

Here are some ways you can use these citrus sugars:

• In drinks of all sorts - like tea!
• Sprinkle on cookies
• Sprinkle on muffins
• Sprinkle on top of frosting for a citrusy sparkle.
• A spoonful in a glass of  sparkling water is delish!
• As a substitute for plain sugar in shortbread or spritz cookies. 
• In puddings
• Sprinkled over fruit kabobs
• In candied sweet potatoes

Citrus Sugars
www.rurification.com

•  zest of one fruit
• 1 cup sugar

Mix the zest and sugar together in a jar.   Shake until well combined.   Will keep indefinitely.   But don't kid yourself - it's not going to last all that long.

Citrus Salts

I saw these over at Food in Jars and was instantly smitten.

Smitten, I tell you!

And since I've been making marmalade and stuff, I thought I'd give them a whirl. 

I made lemon salt and lime salt. They're so good.  

All you have to do is zest the fruit and mix it with salt.     I used the zest of 1 fruit and mixed it with a half cup of salt.

The zest makes the salt sort of damp, so I tried letting the zest dry out for a while to see if it made a difference.   It didn't.   The salts work great just like this - no fuss, no muss. 

Here are a few ways to use the salts:

• adult drinks
• grilled meats
• skillet seafood and meat dishes [Loved it on pork.]
• potatoes  [Lime salt on sweet potatoes!]
• oven fried chicken
• steamed vegetables 
• popcorn
• pasta

Citrus Salts
www.rurification.com

• Zest of one lemon or lime
• 1/2 cup salt

Shake the zest and salt together in a jar until well blended.   Enjoy!  They'll keep for a very long time and make great gifts!

More Bee Candy

In January I made bee candy to put in the lang.    Candy making is not exactly my forte and when I mentioned it on the bee forum, someone was nice enough to send me a slightly different recipe.    I tried it out and I like this one a bit better.

Thank you Tefer2!

Tefer2's  Bee Candy
www.rurification.com

• 5 lbs sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Use a tall pan with a wide bottom.   Like this one.

Bring water to boil and stir in vinegar and sugar.    Return to boil.   Stir a few times until it starts boiling hard, then leave it alone.   Heat to 242 degrees.     Turn off heat and let it sit until it cools to 200 degrees.  Stir until opaque and pour into molds, bowls, etc.

Tefer2 says this:

'The trick with the final stirring is cooling it before it starts to set up on you.  If you let it cool too much it will get too hard to pour. I start my final stirring somewhere between 180-200.  The hotter it is, the longer you will have to stir to cool it to reach opaque color.   I line my mold with clear saran wrap so it doesn't stick.   Use extra wrap over the sides because it shrinks some from the heat.   You can use any size mold you like.   You can even just pour it out flat on a lined baking tray.   The vinegar works better than cream of tartar.'

I did pour it flat on a baking tray covered with aluminum foil.   Worked great.  Broke apart into chucks that fit nicely on the frame tops.    

To speed up the stirring, use a mixer or hand blender.   Quit as soon as it starts to cloud up because it'll set up fast then.