Teach your kids how crystals grow with this edible rock candy recipe. Let each child have their own jar and their own color.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- Food coloring
- Clean glass jar
- String, cut into 6-inch lengths
- Pencil
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups of the sugar and the water. Do not boil! Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Gradually add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice and the additional sugar, stirring continuously until all the sugar is dissolved.Pour the solution into a clean glass jar and tie the pieces of string to the pencil and suspend them across the mouth of the jar so that the ends hang into the sugar water.
Crystals suitable to eat will form in an hour and continue for several days to a week. Pieces can be broken off and eaten after the first hour. (But, try to hold out for big crystals!)
Although you may see quick results in small measure, the larger rock candy crystals you're accustomed to seeing in the candy store will take some time to form.
Yield: 12 ounces
Recipe Source: Cheaper and Better : Homemade Alternatives by Nancy Birnes (Harper & Row)
Reprinted with permission.
