Description
Homemade Rock Candy is a fun and simple DIY candy recipe that allows you to grow your own colorful sugar crystals on wooden skewers. Perfect as a sweet treat or an educational science project, this recipe uses basic ingredients like water and sugar, with optional flavoring and food coloring to customize your candy. The process involves creating a supersaturated sugar solution and patiently growing crystals over several days to create dazzling, edible rock candy sticks.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- Food coloring (optional)
- 1–2 teaspoons flavoring extract (optional, such as vanilla, cherry, or peppermint)
- Wooden skewers or string
- Clothespins or clips
- Glass jars
Instructions
- Prepare the skewers: Dip each wooden skewer in water, then roll it in granulated sugar. Allow the skewers to dry completely. This step helps crystals form faster by providing a sugar-coated surface for the crystals to cling to.
- Make the sugar syrup: In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil. Gradually add the 6 cups of granulated sugar while stirring constantly until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture becomes clear and thick. This process may take several minutes; ensure all sugar crystals dissolve.
- Add flavor and color: Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in your choice of food coloring and 1–2 teaspoons of flavoring extract if desired to customize your rock candy’s appearance and taste.
- Cool the syrup: Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes to avoid cracking the glass jars or harming the wooden skewer when assembling.
- Set up the jars: Carefully pour the cooled syrup into clean glass jars. Suspend a sugar-coated skewer in each jar so that it hangs freely without touching the jar’s bottom or sides. Use a clothespin or clip laid across the rim of the jar to hold the skewer in place.
- Grow the crystals: Place the jars in a cool, undisturbed area. Crystals will start forming within 2 to 4 hours and continue to grow over the next 5 to 7 days.
- Harvest your rock candy: Once the crystals have reached your desired size, remove the skewer from the jar. Let it dry for a few minutes before enjoying your homemade rock candy.
Notes
- Use clear glass jars to easily monitor crystal growth.
- The longer you allow the crystals to grow, the larger and more impressive they will become.
- Avoid moving or shaking the jars during crystal formation to ensure even and consistent growth.
