Rock candy is so fun to make and is the perfect summer project for the kids! They can learn about cooking and science simultaneously as they wait and watch the rock candy grow and grow, until it’s time to eat! Making rock candy gets kids involved in the kitchen and cooking process and is a fun childhood memory that they’ll never forget.
Growing up, I ate rock candy, but never made it. It’s so much fun to make—I truly wish I would have made it sooner! It’s one of the simplest recipes, only requiring two ingredients—sugar and water. The syrup becomes sticky so be careful as it can get messy.
The exact quantity of sugar need will depend on the size of jar used and the number of candies you want. I have a candy-obsessed three-year-old so we made five different rock candies. Tasting the rock candy brought me back to my childhood, when I used to frequently buy rock candy at the candy store in the local mall.
Easy Step-by-Step Rock Candy Tutorial
If you skip any of the steps, you may not be successful in making rock candy. This is a tried and tested method that I’ve developed and I’ve skipped the step of not allowing the syrup to cool to room temperature in the past, and guess what? Those skewers did NOT produce any rock candy. I’m here to teach you my epic failures so that you are successful making this fun candy.
We used 32-oz. mason jars to make our rock candy, not once, but twice as the first time was not successful.
To make the candy, make sure to clean the mason jars. You’ll need wooden skewers that hang about one inch from the bottom of the jar. Use a clothespin to keep the wooden skewer from touching the bottom.
Wet the wooden skewers and then sprinkle granulated sugar all around them. This will give the sugars a base and something to cling to as the candy grows over the next few days. Let them dry as you prepare to make the sugary syrup.
Add two cups water to a deep pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. The more sugar you add, the longer it will take to dissolve. Stir and continue boiling until all the sugar has been added. Remove from heat.
Add food coloring and extracts. I used neon food coloring and used about 35 drops of food coloring per mason jar. I used ½ teaspoon both vanilla and peppermint extracts. You can use any kind of extract. You can also used flavored oils instead of extract; if you do, double the amount (use 1 teaspoon of flavored oil).
Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature—about 30 minutes. If you skip this step, the syrup will be so hot that it will pull the crystals from the wooden skewers and will not have anything to stick to, in order to grow. I skipped this step a couple times then wondered why my jars produced no rock candy. You must wait for the syrup to cool before pouring it into the mason jars.
After it’s cooled, pour the syrup into the mason jar. Add a wooden skewer to the jar and use a clothespin to hang it from the center so that it’s about one inch from the bottom of the jar.
Loosely cover with foil or plastic wrap and place the mason jars in a cool place, away from strong light that may disturb the growth.
You should begin to see crystals forming within 3-4 hours. If you don’t notice any changes after 24 hours, you may need to start over.
Let the kids watch as the rock candy grows and be sure to keep an eye on it. Avoid letting it grow too large as it may grow on the sides of the jar and make pulling it out impossible. Some of my rock candy took two to three days and others took about six days.
If you like this, you’ll love these recipes:
Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups
Easy 5-Minute Chocolate Pudding Pie
Finally, if you make this Rock Candy, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this recipe and always try my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Rock Candy
Equipment
- Clothespins
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 25-35 drops food coloring optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preparation
- Clean the mason jars. You’ll need wooden skewers that hang about one inch from the bottom of the jar. Use a clothespin to keep the wooden skewer from touching the bottom.
Making the Candy
- Get each wooden skewer wet and then sprinkle granulated sugar all around it. This will give the sugars a base and something to stick to as the candy grows over the next few days. Let them dry as you prepare to make the candy.
- Add two cups water to a deep pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. The more sugar you add, the longer it will take to dissolve. Stir and continue boiling until all the sugar has been added. Remove from heat.
- Add food coloring and extracts. I used neon food coloring and used about 35 drops of food coloring per mason jar. I used ½ teaspoon both vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). If you skip this step, the syrup will be so hot that it will pull the crystals from the wooden skewers and will not have anything to stick to, in order to grow.
- Add the syrup to the prepared mason jar. Add a wooden skewer to the jar and use a clothespin to hang it from the center so that it’s about one inch from the bottom of the jar.
- Cover with foil or plastic wrap and place the mason jars in a cool place, away from strong light that may disturb the growth.
- You should begin to see crystals forming within 3-4 hours. If you don’t notice any changes after 24 hours, you may need to start over.
- Let the kids watch as the rock candy grows and be sure to keep an eye on it. Avoid letting it grow too large as it may grow on the sides of the jar and make pulling it out impossible.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
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