Things You'll Need:
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- clean glass or jar
- string or wooden skewer
- pencil or clothespins
- food coloring (if desired)
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Step 1
Bring water to boil in medium sized saucepan.
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Step 2
Add sugar, one cup at a time, stirring well until it has dissolved completely before adding more.
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Step 3
Once all the sugar has been added, simmer syrup until smooth, about 5 minutes. If you want to add food coloring or flavoring, do it now. Add two or three drops of color and stir well. If you decide to add flavor use one or two drops of an extract and stir well. (I have had the best result with peppermint, but plain is the best!)
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Step 4
Remove syrup from heat and let it sit for about 5-7 minutes.
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Step 5
While syrup is resting, prepare your string or skewer. Wet one end of the string or skewer about two inches long and roll in granulated sugar. This gives the crystals a "starting pad" to grab onto.
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Step 6
Pour the syrup into a clean glass or jar.
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Step 7
Insert sugared string into the jar, letting the end dangle about an inch from the bottom of the jar so the candy doesn't grow onto the jar itself. Tie the other end of the string onto a pencil or stick and lay it across the top of the jar so it stays in place, If you are using a skewer, attach it to the pencil with clothespins or strong tape.
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Step 8
Place jar somewhere where you can watch the crystals form, not in direct sunlight though. You should start to see crystals in a few hours. If you don't, try reboiling the syrup and adding another few tablespoons of sugar. As the water evaporates from the syrup the sugar will crystalize onto your string and the result is a beautiful piece of rock candy! Have fun!
