Rock Candy

Ingredients

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Gather these items:
a clean glass jar
cotton string (cut into 6-inch lengths)
pencil, dowel, or spoon (anything skinny and longer then the opening of your jar)

Prepare your pencil or dowel with the string by tying the string around the center of it, so that when you hold it flat, the strings hang down.

In a medium saucepan, heat up the water with 2 cups of the sugar added. Stir the solution until the sugar is completely dissolved. Don't let it boil! Add a a couple drops food coloring and stir gradually. Add the rest of the sugar and continue to stir until all the sugar is dissolved. All of it. Completely dissolved. And DON'T LET IT BOIL!

Pour your sweet solution into a clean glass jar. Lay your pencil (or dowel) across the jar's opening with the strings hanging into the solution. Make sure your strings aren't touching or you'll end up with one large chunk.

Crystals will begin to form and continue to do so like magic (but we call it science).

Technically, you could eat the crystals that form after an hour, but they will be small and not much worth the effort. It is best to be patient. Crystals will continue to form for several days, up to a week. Yep, it's not instant candy. Just wait it out!