How to Grow Your Own Sugar Crystals

Learn how to grow beautiful, edible rock candy crystals at home using simple kitchen ingredients and a little bit of patience.

1. Make the sugar syrup. Ask a grown-up to help you heat the water in a saucepan until it is almost boiling. Slowly stir in the sugar, one spoonful at a time, until it dissolves completely. Keep adding sugar until no more will dissolve in the water.
2. Prepare your crystal string. Cut a piece of string that is long enough to hang inside your jar without touching the bottom. Tie one end to the middle of a pencil or skewer. Dip the string in water and roll it in a little bit of extra sugar to help the crystals get a head start.
3. Set up your experiment. Carefully pour the warm sugar mixture into your glass jar. If you want colored crystals, add one drop of food coloring now. Rest the pencil across the top of the jar so the string hangs down into the liquid. Use tape to keep the pencil in place.
4. Wait and watch. Place the jar in a quiet, sunny spot where it won't be bumped. Over the next 3 to 7 days, you will see crystals start to grow on the string. Check on them every day to see how big they get!