Rock Candy

Wooden Skewer
Clothes pin
1 cup water
2 cups sugar, plus more for prepping the skewers.
Tall narrow glass or jar
Food coloring (optional)
Flavoring (optional)

Pour water into sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and mix until it dissolves. Add sugar in small amounts so it will completely dissolve easier. Once all the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the skewer in water for a few minutes and then roll them sugar to completely coat the stick. This helps the rock candy form on the skewer. Use the clothes pin to hang the skewer in the jar. Lay the pin across the top of the jar while it holds the skewer. Leave about an inch of space below the stick for the candy to form, make sure the skewer is not touching the jar. Carefully add the dissolved sugar water to your jars. You can fill to desired height, the more sugar water the larger the final piece of candy will be. If desired you can add a few drops of food coloring or flavoring to each jar. Add only a drop or two of flavor; you may need to add quite a few drops of color depending on the color you prefer.

Place jars in a room temperature place where they will not be disturbed. Crystals will take anywhere from 3 to 7 days to fully form.

 

Adapted from www.happinessishomemade.net
and www.sciencebob.com
Photo Souce: www.morguefile.com