How to make your own rock candy (sugar crystal candy)

Make your own sweet edible crystal creation!

Mix 1 cup of water with 3 cups of sugar in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then remove from heat.
Add food colour or some flavouring (vanilla, peppermint extract, cherry extract etc.) if desired (optional). Stir.
Pour into a glass container and suspend string, a pipe cleaner in the solution.
After a few days crystal will begin to grown on the object suspended in the liquid. Pour into new container if there are too many sugar crystals on the bottom or sides of the container.

**FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS**

1. Can I use something other than a pipe cleaner?

I have heard that you can use a wooden skewer or chopstick or a popsicle stick but I've never tried it myself so I don't know if that works or not. The smoother the surface, the longer it may take for crystals to form.

2. Can I use a sting instead of a pipe cleaner?
You can also use string instead of the pipe cleaner, but it may be more difficult to get it to sink straight down into the jar. It may not work if the string is very thin or very smooth. You may have to weight it with something like a clean new paper clip or a life saver candy or use a very rough fuzzy string
Viewers have told me that the string must also be fairly thick and it is better if it is fuzzy.
I have also heard that dipping the damp string or wooden skewer or chopstick in some dry sugar before putting it into the solution also helps.

3. Can I make more than one of these at a time?
You can put more than one string/pipe cleaner in the solution at one time, just make sure they aren't touching.

4. Can I re-use the solution after I make one?
Only use the solution to make one batch of rock candy (about one week) just in case molds or bacteria are growing in there.

5. Do I have to use a mason jar?
You can use whatever kind of container you like as long as it is tall.

6. Do I have to use the flavouring or food colour?
No you don't need to use food colouring or flavouring, that is optional.

7. Do I have to use orange extract or can I use something else?
You can use any kind of flavouring or extract (lemon, vanilla, rum, etc)

8. Won't the sugar stick to the pipe cleaner when I eat this?
If you don't find the idea of nibbling sugar off of a pipe cleaner appealing, then don't use a pipe cleaner. Some of the pipe cleaner fuzzies may come off when you eat the sugar down close to the pipe cleaner. To my knowledge no one has EVER died from ingesting a tiny piece of pipe cleaner fluff. You are probably doing more damage to your body by eating the pure sugar.

9. Can I use brown sugar or powdered sugar?
I've never tried this with brown sugar, so I don't know if it will work or not, powdered sugar does not work.

10. OMG, I can't wait a week. Can I put this in the fridge to speed it up?
You can't speed this up by putting it in the freezer or fridge. These aren't ice crystals they are sugar crystals, cold will slow down the process.

11. Can I use less sugar?
The trick is to make sure you have a 3:1 ratio of sugar to water. So... 1 1/2 cups of sugar to 1/2 cup of water is an example of a smaller recipe. If you do reduce it the amount of syrup, make sure your container is tall and skinny (like a tall drinking glass) and that the string or pipecleaner you are using is completely immersed.


12. Hey, my question isn't in here!!!
If you've made it to FAQ #12 and still don't have your question answered, then you can go to my channel page and click on the "contact me" link and send me an email.

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