Recipe by: Amanda Rader
'Rock Candy the old-fashioned way! You can add food coloring or a flavored extract, if desired.'
DIY Rock Candy: Here is a super fun experiment to do with kids – make your own DIY Rock Candy!!! A great way to explore how things dissolve, but then recrystalise too. I love that they made a whole set of pretty rock candy treats here – so fun to look at too and I bet the kids will love eat it. ROCK CANDY EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS 2-3 cups of sugar. 1 cup of water. A jar or glass. A large saucepan.
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Ingredients
10 d 10 h servings194 cals- Adjust
- US
- Metric
Directions
Prep
Ready In
- Prepare your candy growing area by thoroughly cleaning and drying a 2 quart jar. You will need a place for it to rest undisturbed for about 2 weeks.
- In a large bowl, place the water. Dissolve sugar in water, a little at a time, stirring each time until sugar is completely dissolved, until no more sugar can be incorporated. Pour sugar water into clean jar and place a bamboo skewer in the jar, being sure the top sticks out over the surface of the water. Cover with a cloth, to keep out dust, and let rest until all water is evaporated and crystals have formed on the skewer, several days.
- NOTE: For larger crystals, try 'seeding' them, by wetting your skewer and rolling it in sugar before placing it in the sugar water. Be sure not to disturb the crystals as they are growing.
Footnotes
- Partner Tip
- Reynolds® Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 194 calories;0 g fat;50g carbohydrates;0 g protein;0 mg cholesterol;0 mg sodium.Full nutrition
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Reviews
Read all reviews4048 Ratings
EVERYBODY! If you get moldy water, try these things:Instead of a skewer, use cotton string or dental floss.Cover jar with something lighter.Use the ratio 2 Cups Sugar to 1 Cup Water.If you...
Most helpful critical review *****READ THIS REVIEW FIRST***** THE RATIO OF WATER TO SUGAR IS INCORRECT.. THATS WHY MANY GOT MOLDY CANDY. THE RATION IS 4 CUPS SUGAR TO 2 CUPS WATER. I USED SQUARE TUPPERWARE CONTAINER... ...
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*****READ THIS REVIEW FIRST***** THE RATIO OF WATER TO SUGAR IS INCORRECT.. THATS WHY MANY GOT MOLDY CANDY. THE RATION IS 4 CUPS SUGAR TO 2 CUPS WATER. I USED SQUARE TUPPERWARE CONTAINER... ...
EVERYBODY! If you get moldy water, try these things:Instead of a skewer, use cotton string or dental floss.Cover jar with something lighter.Use the ratio 2 Cups Sugar to 1 Cup Water.If you...
I would give this zero stars if I could. Rock candy is supposed to be a supersaturated solution when you mix the sugar and water together. That means you should have more sugar than water not eq...
Recipe worked rather nicely, and the addition of just a touch of candy flavoring oils was great. **IF you're getting moldy water, try using a lighter weight cloth over your bottle. Whatever rag ...
All of you for whom this recipe did not owrk. I do not believe you did anything wrong. I know a lot about cooking and I have never had to re- try a recipe three times with this one I did on the ...
my kids and i loved them! although it did take long for them to develope, good thinhs come to those who wait! i used orange for two, and a little vanilla for the others. GREAT!
READ THIS BEFORE MAKING IT!The reason many had moldy water is because the ratio of sugar to water was wrong. You want the water to be supersaturated, so you'll need a 2:1 sugar to water ratio. ...
This was an interesting project for the young kids to watch take place. I added a little foor coloring to make them more fun.
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•••Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
A rock candy experiment is a great way to demonstrate to students the concept of evaporation, and to teach them about crystal formation. The rock candy crystals form when water evaporates from saturated sugar water. This experiment may be carried out in the classroom, with your students participating. While the rock candy forms over several days, you and your students can observe and record the progress of the crystallization. Take a photograph each day to accompany the class notes.
- An individual piece of rock candy can be made for each student in the class with the help of several parent volunteers. Have each student bring in their own jar, sugar and chopstick to keep costs down.
- Any heating device, such as a hot plate or burner, should only be used by an adult or under adult supervision.
Bring 1 cup of water to a rolling boil on a hot plate in the classroom, or in the science lab on a burner. Stir in sugar gradually, dissolving fully before adding more. Continue adding sugar until it is no longer dissolving in the water. Add 2 to 3 drops of food coloring.
Remove sugar solution from heat and allow at least 20 minutes to cool. Dip your chopstick into sugar solution. Roll the chopstick in sugar and give the sugar time to dry completely on a piece of wax paper. This will give the rock candy crystals a textured surface on which to begin growing.
Have a student clip the clothespin to the bare end of the chopstick at a perpendicular angle. Lower the chopstick into the glass, making sure there is at least 1 inch of space between the chopstick and the bottom of the glass. Remove the chopstick before pouring the solution into the glass, to avoid spills.
Pour the sugar solution into the glass jar. Lower the skewer into the sugar solution, allowing the clothespin to rest horizontally across the mouth of the jar. When the jar is cool to the touch, place it somewhere that it can rest undisturbed.
Observe the jar over the next seven days, recording any changes which occur. Your rock candy should be ready by the end of the seventh day.
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