Rock Pop Candy Part 1

We had done this one in the pass the dogs & I It did take a week & a few days to get the stick covered nicely but it was well worth it....Rex handed them out to his class- We used the others with our afternoon hot tea... We prepared 4 mason jars worth... In the lids I cut holes to hold the skewer stick in place This work better then the clothes pins for me. I hope we get around to it & do it again this week-end for Rex;s class this year & Valentine's day. I'll post back what ours turned out looking like next week!
Enjoy recipe below:



Rock candy is a simple sugar candy that can double as a science experiment. The process can take up to a week, but it’s fun to watch the sugar crystals growing over time. Note that the exact quantity of sugar syrup you will use depends on the size of the jar you have. If you want to make several pieces of rock candy, use multiple jars and skewers, and double or triple the sugar syrup solution as necessary. For easily printable instructions, please see the rock candy recipe. Begin by assembling your ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2-1 tsp flavoring extract or oil (optional)
• food coloring (optional)
• glass jar
• skewer or thread (see below)

Prepare your materials: wash a glass jar thoroughly with hot water to clean it. To make rock candy on a wooden stick, cut a thin skewer until it is slightly taller than your jar. Use clothespins balanced across the top of the jar to clip it into place. This method is illustrated above. Alternately, you can make your rock candy on a string instead. Cut a length of thick cotton thread or kitchen twine a few inches longer than the height of the jar, and tape it to a pencil. Place the pencil across the lip of the jar, and wind it until the thread is hanging about 1 inch from the bottom of the jar. Attach a paper clip to the bottom of the thread to weigh it and ensure it hangs straight down.



Wet your thread or wooden skewer, and roll it in granulated sugar. This base layer will give the sugar crystals something to “grab” when they start forming. Set the thread or skewer aside to dry while you prepare your sugar syrup.





Place the water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil.




Begin adding the sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. You will notice that it takes longer for the sugar to dissolve after each addition.




Continue to stir and boil the syrup until all of the sugar has been added and it is all dissolved. Once the syrup is entirely liquid and smooth, remove the pan from the heat.



If you are using colors or flavorings, add them at this point. If you are using an extract, add 1 tsp of extract, but if you are using flavoring oils, only add ½ tsp, and make sure you don’t stand right in front of the pan—the scent can be very strong as it rises in the steam. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring and stir to ensure even, smooth color.