28 Jan Make Your Own Rock Candy
One of my favorite experiments as a child was making rock candy in my mother’s kitchen! Watching the sugar crystal molecules form and grow and observing the changes as the days go by is an incredible experience!
Ingredients
- 6 Mason jar or glass (8 oz or larger)
- 6 Wooden sticks or strings (make sure these are food grade!)
- 6 Clothespins to hold sticks in place OR 6 pencils or dowel rods to tie the strings to
- Saucepan
- 4 cups + 2 Tbsp Granulated sugar
- 2 cups Water
*Optional: To make your rock candy even tastier, add a few drops of food coloring and make your own colors in separate jars. You can also add a little bit of flavored oil or extract, like cherry or cinnamon, to give your rock candy a different taste!
Directions
- Begin by heating 2 cups of water over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove.
- Slowly add 4 cups of sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition to dissolve the sugar. The syrup will become very thick.
- Remove the saucepan from heat once all sugar has dissolved.
*If using food coloring, add 4-8 drops of color (depending on your preference) and stir.
*If using flavored extract, add ½ – 1 tsp OR if using flavored oil, ¼ – ½ tsp and stir.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Prepare your sticks or strings by running them under water, and then coat each one in sugar. Let these dry completely.
- Pour the syrup as equally as possible into the 6 jars or glasses.
- Suspend your sticks with clothespins (or tie your strings to the pencils) so that each one is suspended 1 inch from the bottom of the container, being careful not to let them touch the sides once they are positioned. Cover the tops of the jars with plastic wrap and place them in a cool, dry place.
- (once in place, try not to move/bump your containers, as this can disturb the molecules and ruin the experiment).
- Allow the jars to rest for about 2 weeks as you observe them growing.
- Once they have reached about a 1 inch diameter, remove them from the containers and allow them to dry on a plate and discard the remaining syrup.
For more detailed information and a step-by-step guide with colorful photos, visit https://feastandwest.com/how-to-make-rock-candy/
Experimenting with food at home can be lots of fun – and tasty, too! Having fun together in the kitchen is a great way to form lasting memories, and the end result is even more satisfying when you can all enjoy it together!
For more science fun in the kitchen, check out these books available at our library!
Written by Adrian C., Youth Services Library Assistant