How to Make Rock Candy

• 2-4 cups sugar
  
• 1 cup water
  
• food coloring (optional)
  
• flavoring (optional)
  
• rough cotton string
  
• clean jar or glass
  
• pencil or butter knife
  
• saucepan and stove
  

1. Pour the sugar and water into the saucepan. Start with 2 cups of sugar. Add food coloring if you want colored rock candy.

   
   

2. Heat the mixture over medium heat, while stirring, until it just comes to a boil. Add more sugar until it stops dissolving.

   
   

3. Try to avoid letting the mixture (called syrup) get hotter. Keep it near-boiling and stir until the sugar dissolves. This is when mixture becomes clear, without crystals floating in the liquid.




4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in a few drops of flavoring, if desired. Set the pan in the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes. You want the mixture to be room temperature or cooler before pouring it in the jar.




5. Dampen the cotton string with the syrup mixture. Roll the string in dry sugar. Shake off any excess sugar.




6. Tie the string to a pencil or knife so that you can rest the pencil on top of a clean jar with the string not touching the sides or bottom of the container.




7. Pour the cooled syrup into the jar and add the string. You can cover the top with a paper towel, coffee filter, or piece of waxed paper.




8. Allow the jar to sit undisturbed for 3-7 days. Remove (and eat) any crust of sugar that forms on the top of the liquid.




9. If you see a lot of crystals start to form on the sides and bottom of the jar, carefully remove the string and set it aside. Reheat the syrup to dissolve the sugar. Cool the sugar syrup below room temperature and then pour it into a clean jar (cool it to prevent it from dissolving crystals already on your string). Hang the string in the liquid.




10. Remove the crystals when you are satisfied with their size.




11. You can eat the rock candy immediately or you can hang the string and allow it to dry.




12. Store rock candy in a dry, sealed container. The candy will stick to itself, so you may wish to wrap it in waxed paper or coat it with confectioner's (powdered) sugar.

Certain flavorings will inhibit crystal growth. Fruit juice and sweetened flavorings will inhibit crystal formation. The acid and other sugars in these flavors breaks apart the sucrose (sugar) molecule. The best flavorings for rock candy are oil of peppermint, oil of cinnamon, and concentrated fruit flavors (sold with spices).

If you can, try to grow your crystals in a cool, dry location. A warm spot will speed evaporation of the solution, but it prevents crystals from growing because warm water won't give up dissolved sugar.

Ingredients

1 cup water

3-3/4 cups sugar

1-1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon red food coloring (or green for mint)

1 teaspoon cinnamon oil (or use oil of peppermint or mint)

1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan or a cookie sheet with foil or waxed paper. Butter the paper or foil.
   
2. Mix the water, sugar, corn syrup and food coloring in a saucepan.
   
3. Heat the mixture to boiling over medium heat.
4. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals.
   
5. Uncover the pan and continue cooking over medium heat, not stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300°F (hard-crack stage). This wil take about 25 minutes.
   
6. Remove the pan from the heat.
   
7. Stir in the cinnamon or mint oil.
   
8. Immediately pour the mixture onto the buttered pan.
   
9. Allow the candy to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
   
10. Break the candy into pieces.
    
11. Coat the pieces with confectioner's sugar to prevent sticking.
    
12. Store the rock candy in an airtight containter.