Making Rock Candy at home is easy

If you’re considering making candy at home, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something as simple as rock candy. Lollipops are fun, and truffles and candies are possible, but they’re all getting harder to make, so try rock candy first and get the most gratification for the least effort!

Here is a simple and foolproof recipe for how to make rock candy at home.

Rock candy is so simple that it’s the best possible option out of the many available options you have for making candy at home.

Start by placing a light weight, even a paper clip (avoid the temptation to use “split shots” from the tackle box as they are made of lead), on the bottom of a piece of cotton twine to weigh it down and secure. hangs straight when suspended. Tie one end of the string to the center of a pencil, so that when it is placed over the opening of a jar, the string ends about an inch from the bottom. Prepare the rope by moistening and rolling it in some granulated sugar and then set it aside to dry. This procedure prepares a base layer for the sugar crystals to form the next time we add the sugar solution.

Now, cook the sugar syrup. You can create sugar syrup by adding 2 cups of granulated sugar for every 1 cup of water and bringing the solution to a boil. If you have a candy thermometer, make sure the temperature is 265 degrees Fahrenheit, if you don’t have one, boil for about two to three minutes so all the sugar dissolves completely.

Careful! Hot sugar syrup requires care and careful handling as it will burn badly if touched.

At this stage, transfer the pot off the burner and add flavorings like mint or lemon extract and a little food coloring if you like. Remove them with the minimum number of hits. When the syrup is ready, transfer it to the jar.

Now, lower the rope you prepared earlier into the jar and cover it all with a towel. Within 2 to 4 hours, you will begin to see sugar crystals forming. Keep an eye on it and remove your rock candy from the jar before it gets too big to clear the opening. That’s all about it! Pretty easy, right?

Another hard candy that is not complicated to make at home are lollipops. Use 1 cup of water, 3-1/2 cups of granulated sugar, and 1-1/2 cups of corn syrup. With these ingredients combined in a saucepan over medium heat (never high heat!), watch for the sugar to begin to dissolve. Bring to a boil and at this stage stop stirring until the temperature rises to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. A candy thermometer is essential for this process. Now remove from heat and add your flavor and color. Stir quickly using fewer strokes to avoid undesirable grains in the finished candy.

After pouring the popsicle mixture into the molds, insert the popsicle sticks into their openings. Let stand until cool to the touch and ready. When they’re done, the lollipops will pop out of the mold, usually with a gentle pop, so have a forgiving surface like a dish towel ready to drop them on. If your kids are helping out, they’ll love helping creatively wrap and label their treats in cellophane, maybe they can create a unique “house brand.”

The only secret to creating perfect hard candies is to use the right candy thermometer. If the recipe calls for 300 degrees, boil the syrup until you see 300 degrees on the candy thermometer. Neglect or anticipate the proper temperature and you can get a gelatinous ball of goo that just won’t set properly. Continuing to stir after the correct temperature has been reached will also provide results that are “less than optimal”.

Hey, that’s what they say at NASA when something goes wrong! So she remembers:

• Pay attention to your thermometer
• Remove the syrup from the heat when it reaches the right temperature.
• Add additives without delay
• Stir them efficiently

Now that you know how to make rock candy at home, you’ll develop skills and self-confidence that will carry you through even the most difficult recipes. Never lose sight of the goal, which is to make sweets at home and have fun doing it! What are you waiting for?