Making Rock Candy

1. Combine  2 cups of water and 4 cups of table sugar in a saucepan. If you want to try and grow colored crystals, add drops of food coloring now.

2. Stir the mixture as you it over a medium-high heat.

3. Continue to stir and heat the mixture until all the sugar dissolves in the water. When this happens the solution will become relative clear and will be hot enough to reach a rolling boil.

3. Remove the sugar solution from the heat.

4. Carefully pour the hot sugar solution into a clean canning jar.  It is important to use a jar that will not break when the hot solution is poured into it.

5. Use a lid to close the jar or cover the with something, such as a saucer or towel. You want the solution inside the jar to remain clean.

6. Tie a clean weight, such as a paper clip or metal washer, to one end of a cotton string.

7. Tie the free end of the cotton string to the middle of a pencil. Adjust the length of the string so that when hung in the jar, the weight will hang at least one-half inch above  the bottom of the jar.

8. Dip the weighted end of the string into the sugar solution so that as much of the string as possible gets wet.

9. Remove the wet string and lay it on a piece of waxed paper, straighten the wet string, and then cover it with another piece of wax paper. You want the string to dry and it may take a few days. While waiting for the string to dry, keep the string as well as the jar of sugar solution covered.

10. When dry, gently suspend the prepared string in the sugar. Place the jar where you can observe it but in a place where the jar will not be disturbed.

11. Observe the string for signs of sugar crystals. If crystals start growing on the surface of the sugar solution, use a clean spoon to break and remove the crystals. Don’t worry if some of the crystals fall to the bottom of the jar.

12. If you are satisfied with the crystals on the string after seven days, remove the crystal coated string from the jar.

For more information about growing crystals, see   GROWING HALITE CRYSTALS