DIY
Make Your Own
BY PJ FEINSTEIN
Whether your kids are in it for the science or the sugar,
they won’t be disappointed with this edible experiment.

W ith extra time on their hands this winter thanks to the colder weather and COVID-19
restrictions, Linda Freund and her 7-year-old son Arias started experimenting in the
kitchen. Arias, who loves science and art, researched how to make rock candy and, in his
mother’s words, “grew these glorious things from scratch.”
There’s a science to candymaking, and crystallizing sugar produces varied results. Freund and Arias
suggest making a lot of rock candy in case some turn out to be underwhelming. Keep in mind, however,
that smaller, thinner rock candy is actually easier to eat and enjoy, according to Freund.

Here, mother and son share their recipe for rainbow rock candy. Freund, a freelance video journalist,
also filmed Arias making the candy. You can watch it at washingtonfamily.com.

Steps: 16 Washington FAMILY APRIL 2021
Also, make sure that the solution is cool enough
so the seeds don’t fall off the skewer, but warm
enough so slight bubbles forms around them. If
the sugar coating on your skewer dissolves, don’t
worry. Your kiddo can just coat the skewer in more
sugar, let it dry a bit and then re-insert into the
syrupy sugar water.

Again, Arias wants to stress that these two things will
guarantee success:
- Cooling the sugar solution.

- Making sure most of those seeds stays on your
wooden skewer when you put it in your jar.

7 Put rock candy in a cool dark place to grow.

Wait one week. Arias knows it’s a long time,
but it’s worth it. Plus, you can go back each
day to check on its progress. You’ll want to
crack any sugar that forms around the top
with a spoon.

8 Remove rock candy and hang upside down
with clothespins in empty jars or glasses to
dry. This could take a few hours.

9 Painting time! Put a little bit of liquid food
coloring onto a small plate. Arias used the
colors of a rainbow: red, orange, yellow,
green, blue and purple. With a paintbrush,
apply in a circle around the rock candy, one
color at a time.

In addition to a bowl of water, kids can dip
their paintbrush in a bowl of vodka or Everclear
before adding the next color. It’s a little trick to
make the color more vibrant and dry faster. The
alcohol will evaporate, but if you have very young
kids who put things in their mouths, you may
want to skip it. Optional: Add edible glitter for
extra unicorn magic!
10 Let rock candy dry upright in empty jar or
glass. — Linda Freund
LINDA FREUND
1 Soak wooden skewers in water for 5 minutes.

2 Cover wet skewers in sugar. The sugar will
serve as the seed for the rock candy when it
grows, so you want to make sure it’s really
caked on there. Then, set skewers aside to dry.

3 Heat water to a slow boil. Add sugar and stir
until fully dissolved. The water may turn
yellowish and the texture will be syrup-like.

The more sugar, the thicker the consistency
and the better and faster the rock candy forms.

We’ve found it’s best to make one batch at a
time, using a 3 cups sugar to 1 cup water ratio.

4 Let sugar solution cool for 40 minutes. This
step will make or break your rock candy
results. If the water is too hot, it will dissolve
all the sugar (“seeds”) crusted onto your
wooden skewer and the rock candy will not
grow. Our son Arias (featured here) learned
this the hard way and had to start all over after
a week of no results!
5 Fill jars or glasses carefully. The bigger the jar,
the more sugar solution, and the faster and
larger the rock candy will grow. So if your kid
is impatient and wants to see results in only
a day or two, we’d suggest the big mason jars
— but the rock candy may be too big for little
mouths! Arias used mostly small glasses and
made medium sized candies.

6 Hang sugar-coated skewers in the sugar
solution from a clothespin resting across the
top of each glass or jar. Only hang one skewer
per jar, and make sure they are an inch or so
above the bottom and placed in the middle.

They need room to grow.