Introduction: Rock Candy!

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About: Hi! I'm Anna and I love being creative- in lots of aspects! I absolutely love making and decorating cakes. I have nine younger siblings, which is awesome, especially when it comes to making cakes, because ther…

Rock Candy is a fun treat that just about everyone makes as kids. It's easy, requires very few ingredients and the results look like real crystals (or at least they do when you're five)! So join me as we make these yummy rock candy crystals! Have fun!

Supplies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups sugar (plus extra for coating the skewer)
  • flavoring
  • dye

Utensils:

  • pan
  • funnel
  • tall cup/jar/vase
  • skewer

Step 1: Stir Water and Sugar

Pour water into pan, bringing it to a high heat. When it begins to boil, pour in 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir the sugar into the water until it is dissolved.

Step 2: Add More Sugar...

Keep the water-sugar syrup at a simmer. Once the first amount of sugar has dissolved, add another 1/2 or so to the pan, stirring until dissolved.

Step 3: Add Even More Sugar!

When that sugar is dissolved, add some more sugar! Predicable, isn't it? Continue adding sugar in small amounts until you have gone through all 2 cups. The sugar will have a harder time dissolving as the ratio to sugar in the syrup gets larger, so it'll take a little longer for the last few scoops to dissolve.

Step 4: Dye, Flavor and Pour

It would be now that you could dye your rock candy whatever color you wish. As I used raw cane sugar (I recommend just using normal white sugar, it'll be easier to dye) the syrup already had a dark, caramel look to it so I chose to leave it like that. If you want to add a flavor, this is also your time!

Then, after giving the syrup a good stir, pour the syrup into your tall cup/jar/vase (I used a skinny flower vase somewhat like this) using your funnel. You can risk it without the funnel, but I was pretty sure too much of it would land elsewhere for my liking :)

Step 5: Insert Skewer

Sprinkle sugar onto a place- well, maybe sprinkle isn't exactly the right word... pour probably does it more justice. You just need enough sugar on the plate to be able to rotate the skewer in it. To make the sugar stick to the skewer, dip the skewer in water first, then roll it in the sugar. When you are done with the sugar, you can reuse it for whatever else you want to do with it.

Then, take the sugar-coated skewer and insert it into the syrup. The sugar on the skewer will attract the sugar in the crystals so the rock candy will grow on the skewer easier.

Step 6: Wait...Wait...and Wait Some More!

Leave the syrup in a room temperature place where it won't be disturbed. I checked back on it five days later and I really liked my results! If you want the crystals to grow bigger, then leave the skewer in for a few more days. The longer you leave it, the bigger the crystals will grow!

Step 7: Rinse

When you pull the skewer out, it will be covered in the syrup (obviously, because it's been sitting in it for a few days!). To get rid of the excess syrup and give your rock candy a clean, finished look, rinse the candy under water for a second. Don't scrub or be rough, just let the water do it's job.

Step 8: Enjoy!

And there you have it! Rock candy is really easy, it just requires a bit of patience in the days of waiting :)