Who knew that making such beautiful, tasty, sugary Rock Candy at home would be so easy and FUN! It also doubles as a bit of a Science Experiment too!
Using only 3 ingredients, the goodies made from this fun ‘experiment’ can be used for kids parties, wedding favours or just a fun treat!
Now I wanted to make a HUGE batch of these for my son’s party, but you don’t need to make the amount I did! The general rule of thumb is 2 – 3 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. I ended up using 10 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water. I will give you the basic recipe and you can double it, triple it, whatever you like!
You will need:
2-3 cups white sugar
1 cup water
Food colouring
Flavouring (optional) I had some ‘Bubblegum Essence’ so I used that
You will also need:
Jars/champagne flutes
Pegs
Skewers
Large saucepan
Method
Add your water to the saucepan and bring to the boil
Start adding the sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, until it no longer dissolves (making a saturated sugar solution). The more sugar you add, the longer it will take to dissolve. Be patient and try to get as much to dissolve as possible.
Add a few drops of your flavouring.
Take your mixture off the heat and allow to cool – approximately 15 minutes.
While you are waiting, take a plate and add some sugar to it. Get your skewers and dip them into the liquid sugar mixture then dip it into the plain sugar to coat the stick. This will give your Rock Candy something to ‘grow on’. Let them dry for a few minutes until they are completely dry – if they are still too wet when you put them into the hot sugar solution, all of the sugar coating will fall off, and the new crystals will have nothing to grow on.
Set out your champagne flutes/jars and add a few drops of food colouring to the bottom of each.
Carefully add the sugary solution to each glass/jar and give it a little stir. I happened to have a baster on hand which made this task much easier, but you could use a gravy boat, funnel or small cup.
Take your sugary skewers & place a peg at the top of each and place into the glasses (make sure they do not touch the bottom or sides as this will hinder the ‘growing process’.
Now it’s time to be patient. The crystals will start growing in 2 – 3 days, but depending on how big you want your Rock Candy sticks will depend on how long you will need to keep them in the glasses (we let ours grow for 2 weeks). The kids loved checking in on the candy to see how much it had grown each day!
We also used a food cover to cover the glasses to stop any nasties venturing in!
When you are ready to remove them, gently break the top with a butter knife or other sharp object. Gently remove the skewer and hang it upside down until the excess liquid drips off and it dries. You can pour out the liquid from the glass and use the glass to hang the skewer and catch the excess liquid.
Ta Da! Beautiful, home grown rock candy!
You may also like some of our other Fun Science Ideas:
I didn’t know u could make rock candy at home I think that’s really cool this was & still is one of my favorite childhood, carnival, fair, amusement park ect… treats
You sure can Christi and it’s super easy too! Give it a try and let us know how you go! Jenni x
Can you make a video making one?
I’m not good at reading and making, I make things worse doing that! And wonder if it works on “tang” juice?- Judy
Hi, I was wondering how hard it is and how you cleaned the flutes
Hi!I can’t wait to try them.i am just wondering if the coloured sugar rock candy will stain the tongue?is it possible to make a non-coloured rock sugar candy?
Hi there,
You certainly can make the rock candy without the food colouring, it just won’t be as pretty : ( We haven’t had too much trouble with it staining the tongue…they are the same as most lollipops. Jenni x
just dont add the colouring very simple
Yes just dont put in any food coloring.
You could speed up the growing process by adding more saturated sugar solution after a couple of days. The more sugar in the solution the quicker it will grow.
Me parece una idea increible, y perfecta para hacer con los mas pequeños. GRacias por compartir !
This is really cool. I will give it a try.
The Rock Candy recipe sounds like a good project to do with my grandkids while they are out of school over certain hollidays…like around Christmas…ty for sharing
We tried this just one week ago today and followed the directions just as they were written. I haven’t seen any change in the solution as of yet. Did we do something wrong?
Hi Jennifer, so glad you are trying this. It’s fantastic fun for the kids! Mine took 2 weeks to get to the stage they are at in the photos. I did however see crystals forming prior to that. Leave it the full two weeks & then let us know how you go! Jenni x
I have seen since pretty cute Valentine’s Day gifts with the rock candy- a bit card with “you rock” written on it. I’ll have to share this with my sister to have my nieces do it for a school treat.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing : ) Jenni x
Fantastic idea at any child’s birthday party either themed or radom colors. Instead of a lpot candy gift bag or box this is a great gift for guests as they leave the party. Or as a class gift for fellow students even at Christmas time red.and green would look great and halloween orange ones for trick or treatThanks for the great idea ans recipe im inspired to give these a go.
Hi – we are making this for a school project. We doubled the recipe – 2 cups water and 6 cups sugar. Everything absorbed really well and the solution was pretty clear. Added food color to the flutes and set it up as you did. It is day 2 and the solution has crusted over and the sugar is one large mass around the skewers. Will this eventually shrink down to the sharp squared off crystals or do we need to start over? Thanks!
This has been fun, but the liquid is no longer clear. It was starting to cloud over before I put it in the flutes. Is this supposed to happen?-Heather
That’s fine Heather, it won’t make a difference. We look forward to hearing how it all went : ) Jenni x
What a fantastic idea! I will definitely be pinching this idea to use with my class! Love your great ideas! Thanks 🙂
That’s great Lucy!! It’s a great experiment for the kiddies! Jenni x
Do we have to put it in the fridge??? PLEASE REPLY!!
Nope, no need to refrigerate.
Hi,I can’t wait to try them.I am wondering if the food colouring will stain the tongue?n is it possible to make rock sugar candy without the food colouring?
Hi! Love the recipe but my mixture turns completely dark brown….what should I do to avoid that?
I’m so sorry Carissa, I am not sure what to tell you, I haven’t had that problem before. Have you followed all of the steps correctly? Jenni x
From what it sounds like is that the sugar is caramelizing. Try reducing the heat. If the heat is to high the water will completely evaporate and the sugar will start to caramelize. I hope this helps.
typically sugar solutions turn brown when cooked longer and hotter. this is what carmelizing is. really don’t need to have soln boiling. The reason to heat the water to boiling is so that the maximum amount of sugar will dissolve.
If the sugar caramalized will it still make rock candy because wouldn’t that be yummy! Caramel Rock Candy! YUMMY!
It sounds like your heat could be too high on the sugar and that you are caramelizing the sugar instead of just dissolving it. Try heating over a lower temp would be my suggestion.
You are cooking your solution to long try lowering the heat…your sugar is caramelizing.
Sounds like it became caramel if it turned brown…might have your heat too high…
Do you think it would be possible to use jello to flavor and color the rock candy?
I’ve heard of using Kool Aid packets for color and flavor! That’s what I’m going to try!
I do not know for certain but the gelatin may cause some issues. Koolaid would probably be a safer alternative to food coloring and flavorings, I am going to try this without coloring but with some hot
cinnamon…. yummy
What do you mean by “break the tops” in “When you are ready to remove them, gently break the top with a butter knife or other sharp object. Gently remove the skewer and hang it upside down until the excess liquid drips off and it dries. You can pour out the liquid from the glass and use the glass to hang the skewer and catch the excess liquid.”
What are you breaking the ‘tops’ off? Sorry! Just curious! Beautiful photos and a wonderful idea! 🙂
Good question! Sometimes the sugar will grow around the skewers but also grow across the top of the glass, so sometimes you will need to chip this away before you can remove the skewers : ) I hope this makes more sense now. Jenni x
I made this last holidays with my boys and can’t wait to do it again. I’m also thinking of doing this with my Joey Scouts as a Christmas activity. Thanks for the great idea.
That’s great Kristine!! Jenni x
This should be piece of cake too. Making a rock candy will be the great recipe.
hey thank’s for showing us
Cant wait to see more
I saw someone asked about jello for flavoring, I was wondering about koolaid powder to flavor and color the solution. Do you think that would work? Have you ever tried making it on strings?
Hi Michelle, sorry I haven’t tested it out with Jello or Koolaid nor have I tried making this on strings…I have only used the method in this post. I’d love to hear how you go should you have some success in another ‘experiment’! Jenni x
I made this as a kid over 40 years ago … we used kitchen string (turkey tie down string) .. tied the string to a pencil and hung it in a tall glass not allowing it to touch bottom .. poured in the solution and food coloring and just waited.
I have made it with string with my mom when I was younger.. everything is the same we just used string If I remember right it was more like a cord than a string..
When we were kids many years ago, about 50 give or take, we made these on strings. I like the stick idea and plan to try it for my grandkids.
Thanks for the Rock Candy recipe! This will make great stocking stuffers. I was wondering, Is it possible to make multi-colored Rock Candy? If so, How? Maybe like an Easter egg? Let it dry, then put it in a different color? Would that work?
That would be so cool!
Do you have to stir it while its boiling? And you only dip the skewer once in the sugar right? You dont repeat each time it dries?
You leave the sticks in the dissolved solution until the crystals grow. Louise x
Thanks
Yes my DAD made this on string about about 65 years ago.
i made rock candy one year. Not like this but i used peppermint flavoring let me share my horror story. i did not read the full directions and when it came time to add flavor i poured the whole bottle of peppermint flavor in to the mix! you only need a few drops. my house smelled like peppermint til February and i made this at Christmas time
i let it dry on skewers but seems to ALWAYS fall off once in jar..any idea why?
I’m not sure why this would happen. Maybe the climate could effect this?? Louise x
I am wondering if you could wait to put a liquid flavoring in each individual flute? That way you could add flavor according to the color you are making, to have a variety of flavors as well???
We have yet to try that but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just don’t add too much :). Louise x
What type of flavorings can you use? Like Vanilla and Banana extract? Would that work?
Can this be made with Stevia or Splenda type “sugar”??? My son is severely ADHD and I have him on a restricted sugar diet but would LOVE to make these with him….
I’m not sure if those ingredients ‘crystalise’ like sugar does. If you try it out we would love to hear how it goes :). Louise x
Hey Brandie, I am diabetic, and I have tried several sugar free sweeteners. I do not think that stevia will crystallize. I have discovered Xylitol sweetener. It is a crystal like sugar is, it has a low glycemic rating, and it has been used to prevent cavities and ear infections. It cost around $10.00 a pound around here, and is difficult to find. I have to go to a health food store to find it. I have made a simple syrup with it and it tasted like sugar in my tea this way. I do not know if it will work, but I would if any sugar free sweeteners would, I am guessing that it would. Another low glycemic sweetener to consider is coconut sugar.
Splenda or Stevia won’t work. They don’t crystallize like sugar. This only works with real sugar. Try using raw sugar. My son is ADHD and raw sugar doesn’t hype him up.
I used to love going to Williamsburg, VA knowing I’d get some rock candy~ Now I can make it on my own!! Thank you!!
One thing I have found when making rock candy, either this way or the pour out on a pan and break in pieces way,,,, is use GOOD quality sugar. Use a good brand like Domino. Do NOT use any of the super fine almost powdery type. It has a anti caking agent added to it so it doesn’t clump up. It will ruin your candy, make it cloudy and won’t harden correctly. It is worth a few extra $$ to get GOOD sugar. I will only use Domino when I make this.
I am amazed how this turned out the way I did it. I must have did something wrong for it crystalize over night. I went to check on it the next day after work and I pulled one out and it was a huge crystal sugar rock. Hmph! I’m confuggled. How did I speed up the process x1000? I followed your exact directions. I even have pictures. I am amazed!
You must have got a lot of sugar into that water mixture!!! Congrats! =)
Did u by chance add more sugar it will speed up growing process much faster?
Mine also crystalized extremely fast. Within a few hours we noticed they were growing! The ONLY problem I had was that the sugar was starting to harden at the bottom of my jars. I used mason jars. When I took out the skewers there was about an inch of rock candy at the bottom. What did I do wrong? Other than that they came out awesome and very big!
So great to hear so many other Fun Mums are giving this a go!
We are curious how you found us and this recipe? Was it via a Facebook Page in particular?
Thank you
Jenni & Louise 🙂
Yes
Yes, I saw this as a Facebook post and it looks like a great idea and so much fun to try with my girls. I also like some of the ideas and tips I’ve read in the other comments. I am going to also post to Pinterest, if you don’t mind. Thanks for sharing! Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! 🙂
is the length of the crystal determined by how much of the stick is submerged in the solution?
Hi Lora, yes it is :). Louise x
Since I’m not very good at science I’m trying to figure how to make this a science lesson. What questions would need to be asked? This seems like a very fun project to do with my kids.
im going to use a camcorder that way i catch this growing from start to finshed should be interesting for the kids too watch there always like these things illjust speed up the video
Awesome idea! Ww would love to see it when it’s done :). Maybe you could share it on our Facebook Page? Louise
Many variables enter into this so called simple experiment. Cleanliness of flutes & all equipment, purity of sugar, good food coloring, & don’t disturb the solution once you pour it into flutes & all is set up. Allow plenty of time for crystals to grow. Enjoy!
Look up growing sugar crystals on the internet. The experiment is probably listed on someone’s page.
Here’s one: what if we used brown sugar?
nice making this
I was wondering if instead of glass flute can we use the plastic one’s..I like to try this n rather use plastic if I can so that there is no accidents of broken glasses 🙂
Sure! I’m almost positive that would work : ) Jenni x
These look cool ,
Can you upload a video for those who learn better via vdeo rather than written instructions please,
Love these idead
Love it! I did this for a middle school science project. My science teacher also had a bunch of other crystal projects we could make. My first one didn’t take, so I did one with borax. I kept the recipes for a while and made the sugar one so we could eat it with my little brothers later. So fun!
I think this is the coolest&easiest recipe ever! I love it. I hope my kids to too! Thank you.
I did this using a Mason Jar and a Piece of yarn…It works and the kids love the candy…You can do it without coloring, or with coloring, and its awesome with or without flavor…The best part is…It is a great way to kids interested in science.
What are pegs and where do you get them? ALSO do you only put one skewer in each glass? Please respond..TIA
Hi there, you can get pegs from the grocery store or $2 shops (they are what you use to hang your washing on the line). I have used more than one skewer in a glass & they have worked fine : ) Jenni x
We called them clothes pins. Sometimes I use them like chip clips (to keep open bags closed), also. 🙂
Has anyone made this with the flavored koolaid so there is different flavors?
We haven’t but we’d love to hear if it would work! Let us know how you go! Jenni x
“Pegs” are clothespins in the US 🙂
I’m so excited to have stumbled upon this recipe. My kids are adults now, but will always be my “kids”! My 22 year old son absolutely loves rock candy and can’t wait to try this. I will also be making the little ones in my community very happy! Thanks for these amazing ideas!
Do you think you could do these in plastic disposable cups? We don’t have that much glass wear.
Hi Nikki, plastic cups should work fine – just make sure the liquid is cool before you fill them. Louise x
Will try this for my granddaughters for Easter.
Using your recipe, how many rock candy sticks did this make?
Aprox 11.
Let’s be honest… I don’t have kids and I am going to try this! I will be the one anxiously going to see how my sugar grows. Great post!
Tks for posting this, I love rock candy and I work at an assisted living facility and asked the residents about how many remember it. They had so many great memories of it from when they were young . So this is gonna be a project i am gonna start with the residents this weekend. Cant wait . Tks again.
Hi Steve, that’s wonderful! So lovely to hear :). Thank you.
Can I use a sugar substitute? My niece is diabetic.
I dont think so, the sugar is what actually crystallizes.
I bet you could… why not give it a try?
Hi Nikki,
Growing the crystals is almost as much fun as eating them.
You could always try SEA SALT, they are still fun to make and sort of ‘edible’.
You might be able to use splenda but get a hold of the manufacture
Didn’t see a reply to Nikki Hall’s question in regards to using sugar substitute. My daughter is a diabetic but she would so love to try this. Thanks
I am very sorry Misty, but I haven’t tried this recipe with a sugar substitute as yet…I will be sure to let you know if I do! Jenni x
Thank you. I’ll let you know if it does.
when u say white sugar u are talking about the stuff u would put in coffee right
Yes Terri that’s right!
Found that myself and the grandkids lived to make this
Oh I can’t wait to try this! I want to use green rock candy as kryptonite for my son’s super hero birthday party this year. Thank you, this will be so much cheaper!
That’s a fantastic idea!! Love it! Jen x
Oh my goodness, thats such a great idea!!! Can we all admit that sugar IS our kryptonite?
Green for St Pattys Day, Red for Valentines Day, etc! Great for holidays! I get grandkids on weekends, something for them to look forward to each time. Each week start a new batch so in 3’ish weeks you can enjoy them each time they are here! Love these in warm milk at bedtime!
I well be make these look like it would be fun to make.
I well be make this soon. It look like it will be fun to make.
I saw somewhere they have to be in the sun? Did you have to put the glasses in sun to make them grow ?
Hi there, no I had them inside & they grew just fine : ) Jenni x
I have literally just finished making these. Brilliant idea 🙂 quick question though as I have turned the lights off to go to bed I noticed sugary sediment forming at the bottom & liquid sitting at the top on a few is this normal?
Thanks in advance!
Yes that can sometimes happen. Just lift the sticks every day or so to make sure they don’t stick : ) Jenni x
Where did you find the flavouring?
At my local cake shop…you can get them online too : ) Jenni x
Just found some at my local Hobby Lobby! Sheesh, that store has everything 😉
Most all of your local pharmacies carry’s the candy flavorings
At your local pharmacies as well.
I love it Im crazy to do this with my kids, Thanks for this idea
Hi I really what to try this for my daughter’s birthday but its a few months away. Do you know how long they will stay good for?? I just want to try them know so I know I can make them right lol
We have made them a month in advance – just swirl them every couple of days, then when they’re ready keep them in a sealed container. Louise x
Silly question but which end of the skewers do you put in the liquid the end that you have coated in sugar then dipped into the liquid or the end with nothing on it? Thanks
Hi Kerry, the end that has already been dipped into the liquid : ) Jenni x
what do you mean by surgery solution? and where do i find this?
It’s the melted solution that’s made in the saucepan :). Louise x
great ideas for great kids
How many does the original recipe yield?
Will gel food coloring work?
Yes, that should be fine :).
I’m planning on making this for my daughter’s birthday, can is there any way for me to use two stick in one glass? That way I can make about 3 dozen? or maybe even use a plastic champagne flute that i can get at the dollar store?
Hi Chai, yes I have made them with two or three sticks in each glass… just make sure you move them around every now and then to make sure they don’t ‘grow together’. Plastic is also fine too : ) Jenni x
super
Just wanted to say. ..for everyone…thank you for being patient and answering every question. you seem like a genuinely nice person. I will try this soon..was wondering if this would work with those plastic popsicle makers??? does the stick have to be wood? thanks again.
I think the wood helps the first ‘crystals’ to form and hold but I have seen images of them made on plastic. Can’t be 100% certain but worth a try Louise x
I made these when I was a kid and we used a kite string rather than a stick and it worked great.
Is there a way to get a printer friendly version of any of these ideas?
Hi Mary, we will look into adding that feature to our site at some stage, but for now there isn’t – sorry. Louise x
Mary, If you want to print a friendly version=
right click by the recipe ….SELECT…. Print Preview from the list
You will see the page #”s at the bottom
scroll thru the pages and count how many you want…. That way you only have to print it….not all the 10 pages of reply’s
Then click out of that—Because U can’t select pages there. Back to the recipe—
Then right click again…select…. PRINT….then look down to (Page Range)….Click…(Pages)…..
In box to right of that ENTER the page #’s you want… Like 1-3….
Then Click…Apply and then…PRINT
Sound like a lot…but it’s not. 🙂
If you want to print a picture….Just right click (on) the picture…. and go from there.
To have a printer friendly version select the text of the recipe go too file and select print preview. You actually only need page 1-6. I just went through the steps without printing, did that before awhile back.
I just copy and paste the recipe/procedure into a word document. Then I can print it out and have it handy.
I wonder if you can use the same flavoring as you would for hard tack candy in this?
I have used the flavorings that I use to make hard tack candy and it tastes great (I get my flavorings at WalMart).
I am going to have to try Stevia and see if it will work because my hubby loves these and he is diabetic!
I made a big batch of blue, and big batch of yellow for my sons despicable me birthday party. They were a HUGE hit 🙂
loved this idea
thank you
this looks awesome I might try it today
Got to try this with the grandson
I have a week. Will they grow enough in that time? Thank you in advance!
Tabatha,
Did you try? I noticed you wanted to do it and only had a week. Wondering how much “growth” you noticed after only a week. We have a baby boy shower Sunday. Would love to make today for that, but wondering if that 6 days wouldn’t be worth the growth time.
I want to make some for a baby shower. How many does the above recipe make?
Would like to use it for an afterschool activity. How long does it take?
Hi Denise, it will take a few weeks for the crystals to grow : )
Where do you buy the flavoring?
I bought mine from my local cake making shop 🙂 Jenni
Hi Ashley, I always use the bamboo skewers…I think the wooden dowels would be too big for the Crystal to grow on. Any cup is fine, you can use plastic, glass, styrofoam…what ever tickles your fancy! Good luck and have fun! Jenni x
How can you store them? and
How long could you store them for?
Could you reuse the liquid in the glasses for a second batch, right after you take out the first?
I don’t see why not Jessica, sounds like a great plan! Jenni x
Over 60 years ago I can remember my Dad doing this same project with us… He used a piece of string like candle string, and dangled it over the jar by tying it to a spoon handle. He also used peppermint candy to flavor them.
Hi Betty, what a lovely and FUN Dad!! Louise x
To those asking about sugar substitutes, Splenda (which has been approved by the ADA for all three types of diabetes), should work since it’s actually sugar with only three of the atoms removed and replaced with chlorine. There’s no reason why the nucleation process shouldn’t produce some nice crystallization. 🙂
Best of luck!
Hey! I tried to make this candy and instead of the crystals growing on the sticks they grew in the glasses and I can’t get the crystals out with out ruining the glass. Please help!
Hi Katy,
Mine did the same thing. I soaked them in hot water for a while and that took care of most of it, then used a butter knife to break up the rest and it came right out. Hope this helps!
fantastic going to try this for a science project
I can’t Waite to try this for christmas
I once saw this done with spoons, to stir in coffee or tea. I can’t remember if the spoon was wooden or not. Has anyone tried this on a spoon and if so, wood or plastic? Curious. I believe they were flavored.. like vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, etc..
Thanks in Advance for any helpful comments.
Happy Holidays.
Some of mine grew I made a total of 26 the ones that haven’t grown much are the ones where the water is evaporating and crystallizing can I make more solution and move them?
I REMEMBER THESE AS KIDS……….. OH THE MEMORIES! AND THEY LASTED SO LONG! IT WAS A REAL CHRISTMAS………..
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES AND MOSTLY THE RECIPE. GOD BLESS, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS
Hi, I’m wondering if these will work in mason jars? I do not have champagne flutes. Thanks so much
Hi Elisa, that should be fine :). Louise x
Hi I was wondering if cane sugar would work also? Thanks
How many does the recipe make approx?
Thanks!
6
Make petite ones to stir into coffee or tea. Looks lovely on the buffet table or the saucer as you serve. Will try brown sugar.
I would like to supply that to the coffee shop, with your recipe it turn out how many sticks.
Such great ideas!
The kids I care for will love this!
How many times are you supposed to dip the skewer from the sugary solution over to the dry sugar?
When I was in school and we did this for science class we used cotton string instead of skewers.
Hi
How many candies did your 10 cups of sugar make?
Thanks Michelle
I would like this for I have a lot of grandchildren,
I know they will have so much funn learning new things.
Very interesting and looks like loads of fun!
How fun!!
Love this page lot good idea on here
I have been looking for this recipe for months? Thank you.
Looks really good
Love the crafts, looks like fun to do with grandkids. Thanks.
Looks like it would be a blast to make rock candy on a stick.
GREAT IDEA, I WOULD TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION OF YOUR WEBSITE. dO YOU HAVE ANY NEWSLETTERS i WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE IT. THANKS
M8 caps lock much
I think my grandkids and would love to do this all of my grandkids loves to do home made craft and goods like this thank you needed something different
Awesome these are great for different drinks also
Want to receive these awesome. Receipes
I’m having my birthday soon and this is AWESOME
How long will they stay good?
That’s a good question Sarah…they have never lasted long in my house if you know what I mean 😉 I dare say they would last quite a few weeks though! Jen x
One more trick that you can use with this recipe…: Save/clean some old spaghetti sauce jars that you had left over from dinner one night(any glass jar with a metal/plastic top, really… I just happen to have like 20 spaghetti jars!), and you can drill a hole right in the middle of the top that is slightly smaller than the skewers you’re going to use. You can then slide the sugar coated skewer into the hole(much easier to adjust so that it doesn’t touch the sides/bottom), and then screw the top on to the jar once it’s full of the sugar solution. Not only will this succeed in “keeping the yuckies out”, it also allows you to move it to a different spot, in case you suddenly need to relocate it without making a mess, or having to remove whatever clothe you had draped over it!! Just a thought…
What a fantastic idea! Thanks Michael! You are a genius! 🙂
That is a great idea Michael. Recycle… and sanitary.
Yay!!! Looks like fun! Will have to try it today!
Me and a friend is doing it for our science fair idea!!!!
just looks like a cool activity they would be pretty anyplace weddings, parties, a anyplace you want to make a colorful statement ! Cute cool and educational!!
Would you be able to put different flavors in the glasses/jars instead of putting in the water in the very beginning?
Wish I would have thought about that before I made mine. I think it would work. I am getting ready to take mine out after growing for 11 days 🙂 They are for my kids’ birthday parties on Sunday. They turned out really good from what I can tell. I only did 4 colors, but I will do more in the future. My kids check on them every day to see how they are growing.
How many candies does the “General rule of thumb” make? This looks like a great idea do do with my brother. We want to make about 4.
I think it would be fun to do with my grandkids .when they come to visit. Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideals
I’m excited about trying this! I just need to get some of the tools needed. Thank you for sharing. =)
I love the colors! Thank you for the detailed instructions and pictures – I will definitely give it a try and maybe add them to my next “end of term” student gifts.
I ws wondering can u use plastic cups clear ones instead of glass jars?
I don’t think that would be a problem Julie 🙂 Jen x
I got a bit creative and found rubber grommets that fir the size of my skewers and drilled holes in mason jar lids allowing me to slide the skewer to the right height.
has anyone tried to just use cool-ade for flavor and coloring?
Can’t wait to do this with the kids this summer. Thank you for sharing
my dad made this for me back in the 40s but we did not use food coloring.
cant wait to do these for christmas goodies. but i still havent seen how many your batch generally makes. i need like 25
Should you leave your rock candy in the sunlight or someplace dark?
I dont think this a great using sharp sticks other then that im trying this out now.
Thank you for posting this! We had a great time creating our own Rock Candy. My daughters learned a lot about sugar and crystals and most of all about the rewards of patience. My favorite part was when we dipped the skewers in the sugary color!
If I’m having a party how many weeks away do I start them?
TY,
Camryn
I tried the recipe and put in 2 1/2 cups of sugar but the mixture seemed a little to thick, will it be ok, or do I have to start again?
So sad that with this many people posting here I’d be only the 2nd to even ask about using xylitol instead of white sugar. And I understand no one wanting to even try it without knowing it will work. That stuff is so expensive. I’ve tried substituting it in a few of my favorite recipes and only succeeded in ruining a large amount of the xylitol. Anyway, just hoping – still no one has tried this out?