Alberta Open Farm Days 2022: It Takes a Hive

August 13 & 14, 2022

By Alberta Open Farm Days

For Alberta Open Farm Days 10th anniversary this year, we wanted to recognize that farming is dependent on many things, such as community, family, and on other farm products. What better way to symbolize that than with one of our favourite pollinators, the honey bee. The bee and its hive demonstrates how much farming is interdependent. Bees pollinate the fruits, the vegetables, legumes, and without bees, much of what we eat wouldn’t be here.

This year we are delighted to share our artisan product – Honey Fluff! A celebration of our highly valued Alberta local honey found dotted across the province combined with local sugar beet sugar, grown and processed in southern Alberta. This sweet little throwback treat is a unique product with a fun new twist.

Honey Fluff is like candy floss, but instead of using sugar as the main ingredient we used a combination of Alberta Honey and local sugar beet sugar as the main ingredients.

The taste of Honey Fluff is similar to that of traditional candy floss, but so much better. You can really taste the difference. It’s just as sweet as regular candy floss, but with a touch of honey.

Here’s how you can make your own Honey Floss.

1. In a medium bowl, set up an ice bath with equal parts water and ice. Set aside. 2. Add sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water to a medium saucepan. Do not get anything on the side of the pan,so no splashing or dripping! 3. Place pan over medium-low heat, bring to a boil, stirring gently without splashing, until the sugar dissolves. 4. Boil for approximately 40 minutes, or until the candy thermometer reads 310°F. Do a quick water test, by dripping a bit of the mixture into the ice water you have set aside.

If the little drop sets hard it is ready. If it is still soft, it needs to cook longer. 5. Remove the pan from the heat and place the bottom of the pan in the ice bath for 30 seconds, to stop the cooking process. 6. On a lined baking tray, pour the honey candy carefully and let it sit to cool. 7. Once cool, crack into small pieces, place in vitamix and blend into honey sugar. Product should be very fine powder – similar to sugar. 8. Pour powder into an airtight container.

Cotton Candy Machines

There are a variety of machines for day rental or for purchase. For personal use cotton candy machines, try a small amount first to see if the Honey Fluff is compatible with the machine. Do not let the machine over heat and make in batches.

1. Pour Honey Sugar into the centre spinner. 2. Turn the Candy Switch to ON. 3. The floss will start to spin. 4. Each machine will vary in instructions, but the procedure is basically the same for each.