How to Make a Rock Candy Stick With a Skewer

As the water evaporates, the smaller sugar crystals bind together.

Making rock candy at home is a great way to spend an afternoon having fun with your kids in the kitchen while at the same time expanding their minds with natural science. The science behind rock candy is the formation of crystals. As the water evaporates, the smaller sugar crystals form together and create a new larger one. The result is rock candy. The candy is edible science and can be colored or flavored in a variety of different ways.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1-pint jar
• Skewers
• Food dye
• Aluminum foil
• Medium sauce pan

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash and dry a tall 1-pint canning jar or similar container. Avoid using anything made out of plastic as it will have to withstand having boiling water poured into it. Let the jar dry on a clean towel.

2. Mix together 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the solution constantly until it continues to boil even while you are stirring. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Pour the sugar solution into the clean jar. If you wish to make colored rock candy, add a few drops of food dye to the jar at this point and stir. Add more drops, one by one, until the desired color is reached.

4. Cut the skewer if it is more than twice the height of the jar. The skewer should be about 2 to 3 inches longer than the height of the jar.

5. Dip the skewer into the jar and remove. While still wet, roll the skewer in a plate of sugar. Allow the sugar to dry for 2 to 3 hours.

6. Place a square of aluminum foil over the top of the jar and smooth the edges down. Stretch a rubber band around the circumference of the rim to help the foil stay in place.

7. Slowly poke the skewer into the foil. Try to keep the hole small so that the skewer is held in place. Allow the jar to sit untouched for at least 10 days. The longer you let it sit, the bigger the candy will grow.

References

• The Accidental Scientist Science of Cooking: Rock Candy