How do you make rock candy ?

Question

How do you make rock candy ?

Answer 1

Ingredients:

    * 2 cups water

    * 4 cups granulated sugar

    * 1/2-1 tsp flavoring extract or oil (optional)

    * food coloring (optional)

    * glass jar

    * skewer or thread (see below)

Preparation:

1. Prepare your materials: wash a glass jar thoroughly with hot water to clean it. Cut a length of thick cotton thread a few inches longer than the height of the jar, and tape it to a pencil. Place the pencil across the lip of the jar, and wind it until the thread is hanging about 1 inch from the bottom of the jar. Attach a paper clip to the bottom of the thread to weight it and ensure it hangs straight down. Alternately, you can use a wooden skewer as the base of your rock candy, and use clothespins balanced across the top of the jar to clip it into place.

2. Wet your thread or wooden skewer, and roll it in granulated sugar. This base layer will give the sugar crystals something to “grab” when they start forming. Set the thread or skewer aside to dry while you prepare your sugar syrup.

3. Place the water in a medium-sized pan and bring it to a boil. Begin adding the sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. You will notice that it takes longer for the sugar to dissolve after each addition. Continue to stir and boil the syrup until all of the sugar has been added and it is all dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. If you are using colors or flavorings, add them at this point. If you are using an extract, add 1 tsp of extract, but if you are using flavoring oils, only add ½ tsp, and make sure you don’t stand right in front of the pan—the scent can be very strong as it rises in the steam. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring and stir to ensure even, smooth color.

5. Allow the sugar syrup to cool for approximately 10 minutes, then pour it into the prepared jar. Lower the sugared string or skewer until it hangs about 1 inch from the bottom.

6. Carefully place your jar in a cool place, away from harsh lights, where it can sit undisturbed. Cover the top loosely with plastic wrap or paper towel.

7. You should start to see sugar crystals forming within 2-4 hours. If you have seen no change to your skewer or thread after 24 hours, try boiling the sugar syrup again and dissolve another cup of sugar into it, then pour it back into the jar and insert the string or skewer again.

8. Allow the rock candy to grow until it is the size you want. Don’t let it grow too large, otherwise it might start growing into the sides of your jar! Once it has reached the size you want, remove it and allow it to dry for a few minutes, then enjoy or wrap in plastic wrap to save it for later.  

Answer 2

OLD FASHIONED ROCK CANDY - Couldn't be easier!

6 c. sugar

3 c. water

3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Cook these ingredients quickly without stirring to 290 degrees. Substitute fruit juice for liquid or add flavored extract and color. Pour quickly into greased square pan, chill firm. Turn out and crack. Yield: 2 pounds.

To make candied apple use same recipe as rock candy but put few drops of red food coloring. Put pan in hot water to keep from hardening. Dip apple at once. Cool on greased surface. Makes 9 medium apples.

Answer 3

I reviewed the answer and found it exactly or better than mine.

Cotton thread is fine and you may drop several threads and increase the quantities.

Answer 4

Rock Candy Recipe Courtesy of Priscilla Martel

Show:  Cooking Live  

Episode:  Cooking with Sugar  

This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?  









1 8-inch square pan (Note: this pan will be ruined for anything else in the future.)

Butcher's twine

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

Sugar thermometer

Punch holes at the top edge of a thin 8-inch square pan so that you will be able to lace 7 strings from one side of the pan to the other. Place the laced pan in a pan deep enough to catch any leaking syrup.

Dissolve 2 1/2 cups of sugar in 1 cup water and cook without stirring to the hard-ball stage, 247 degrees to 252 degrees. Pour the syrup into the laced pan. It should reach a level about 3/4-inch above the strings. Cover the surface with a piece of foil.

Watch and wait. The syrup may take as long as a week to crystallize.

Lift out the laced pan. Cut the strings and dislodge the rock candy. Rinse quickly under cold water and put on racks to dry in a very low-temperature oven.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Answer 5

Man, those answers look like a lot of work.  We used to make it by melting life savers at low temperature in a flat, lightly buttered pan in the oven until they melted, letting them cool to flat sheets of candy, then smashing them and rolling honey smeared sticks in the shards of candy.  If we wanted bigger "rocks" we piled up the melted candy while it was still warm so that it was thicker sheets when it cooled.  

I guess that was cheating, though.  :p

Answer 6

Ingredients  

4 (12-oz.) glass canning jars

4 (7-inch) pieces clean kitchen string

4 wooden skewers or pencils

4 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups water

10 drops red food coloring*

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon oil*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions  

Preparation

1. Arrange jars in bottom of a large Dutch oven, and fill with enough water to cover jars by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil 2 minutes (this is to sterilize). Carefully remove jars with kitchen tongs to a wire rack; cool completely, and dry.

2. Tie strings around centers of wooden skewers or pencils. Place one string in each jar, resting skewer or pencil across rim of jar, and making sure strings do not touch bottoms of jars. Set aside.

3. Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring, cinnamon oil, and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes.

4. Pour about 1 cup syrup mixture carefully around skewer into each jar. Loosely cover with aluminum foil (including skewer); pierce aluminum foil several times with a skewer or knife. Let stand 10 to 14 days or until crystals form on strings. (Occasionally break up hard sugar layer on surface using a wooden skewer.) Remove strings from jars, and suspend strings between jars until crystals are dry (about 1 hour). Remove strings from skewers or pencils.

*10 drops of your favorite shade of food coloring may be substituted for red food coloring, and 2 tsp. of your favorite flavored extract, such as mint, strawberry, or orange, may be substituted for cinnamon oil.