Rock sugar is a delicious scientific experiment that you can make yourself in the kitchen. Rock sugar crystals can be formed on twine or wooden sticks. In addition, rock sugar can also be given any food coloring and flavoring according to taste!
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 1000 mg sugar
- Food coloring (optional)
- Food flavoring (optional)
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Rock Sugar Solution
Step 1. Pour 500 ml of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil
Ask an adult for help if you are a child and are not allowed to use the stove. Boiling water can be very dangerous if splashed on the body.
- If you can, use distilled water. Sugar can adhere to impurities contained in tap water and form a scale that prevents evaporation of water and the formation of rock sugar crystals on the yarn.
- If there is no stove, a microwave oven can be used. Mix the sugar and water in a microwave-resistant glass container. Preheat in a microwave oven for 2 minutes on high. Stir in the sugar water and heat again in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir again the sugar water; the sugar should be almost completely dissolved.
- Use oven mitts or a washcloth when handling hot pans or glass containers so you don't hurt your hands.
Step 2. Gradually add 1,000 mg of granulated sugar to the sugar water, i.e. 120 mg at a time
Stir with a spoon each time pouring 120 mg of sugar until all the sugar is dissolved. The more concentrated the solution, the longer it will take for the sugar to dissolve; even up to 2 minutes.
Stir the solution until it is clear. If the solution is cloudy or the sugar doesn't dissolve, increase the heat (or increase the microwave oven temperature) to bring the water to a boil. Hot water has a higher density limit than cold water. So increasing the temperature of the water will allow you to dissolve all the sugar
Step 3. Remove the pan from the stove and let it rest for 15-20 minutes
Do not let any remaining undissolved sugar at the bottom of the pan. If there is any undissolved sugar after pouring the solution into the glass/bottle, rock sugar crystals will form on the sugar and not on the strings or sticks.
- If there is any undissolved sugar, strain it to get only the liquid.
- This solution is super concentrated because the water in the solution has dissolved more sugar than at room temperature alone. As the solution gets colder, the water concentration limit in the solution decreases so that the water can no longer hold all the sugar. The dissolved sugar can no longer remain liquid and will crystallize on the thread or stick you attach.
Step 4. Add food coloring or flavoring if you don't want to make regular rock sugar
Adjust the coloring with flavorings, for example blue for blueberry flavor, red for strawberry flavor, purple for grape flavor, to make things easier. Stir the solution until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Use only a few drops of food flavoring. However, in the case of dyes, make the colored solution as vivid as possible for best results.
- Drinks like Kool-Aid can also be added to a sugar solution as a colorant and flavoring.
- Add a little fruit juice to make lemon, lime, orange, or other fruit flavored rock sugar.
- Try adding various extracts, such as peppermint, strawberry, vanilla, or even banana.
Step 5. Pour the solution into a glass/glass bottle to form rock sugar crystals
The glass or bottle used must be made of glass and cylindrical with a high edge. Plastic cups/bottles can melt if they are poured with hot sugar solution. Fill the glass/bottle until it is almost full.
- Make sure the glass / glass bottle used is clean and not at all dusty. Even a speck of dust can cause rock sugar crystals to form in the dust, instead of the thread or stick you attach to it.
- Cover the glass/bottle with a piece of waxed paper or parchment to keep the surface of the solution from getting dust.
Method 2 of 3: Forming Rock Sugar Crystals on the Yarn
Step 1. Tie one end of the thread in the middle of a pencil and tie the other end to a paper clip
Paper clips act as weights to keep the threads hanging straight down and not touching the walls of the glass/bottle. The thread used should be 2/3 the height of the glass/bottle or not long enough to allow the paper clip to touch the bottom of the glass/bottle. This method provides enough space for the formation of rock sugar crystals. If the thread hangs too close to or even touches the bottom or the walls of the glass/bottle, the resulting rock sugar crystals may be smaller or have an unsightly shape.
- Use yarn made from natural materials, such as twine or cotton. The fishing line or nylon is too fine for the rock sugar crystals to stick to.
- Rings (flat metal rings) or screws can also be used as thread weights. An alternative to yarn weights is a piece of rock sugar, which can also help speed up the formation of rock sugar crystals.
- Use a pencil long enough so that it can be placed across the mouth of the glass/bottle without falling. If you don't have a suitable pencil, a butter knife, wooden skewer, or ice stick can also be used. Butter knives or popsicle sticks are even more stable because they are flat so they won't roll off.
Step 2. Dip the yarn in the sugar solution, remove it, place it on the wax paper, and let it dry
Place the yarn in a straight position because the yarn becomes stiff once it dries. As the water evaporates and the yarn dries, rock sugar crystals will begin to form on the yarn. These crystals will act as seeds and help speed up the sugar crystallization process in solution.
- The yarn must be completely dry before performing the next step. Be careful not to let the seed crystals fall out when adjusting the thread position in the sugar solution.
- This step can be skipped or speeded up by wetting the yarn and rolling it in granulated sugar (just make sure the yarn is completely dry before dipping into the sugar solution and the sugar crystals don't fall off the yarn). However, making seed crystals speeds up the process and increases the chances of rock sugar formation.
Step 3. Insert the thread into the sugar solution that has been poured into a glass/glass bottle
Place the pencil across the mouth of the glass/bottle. The thread should hang straight down and never touch the wall or the bottom of the glass/bottle. Cover the glass/bottle with tissue paper. Do not cover the glass/bottle with objects that block the flow of air, such as plastic, because evaporation is the main key to the process of forming sugar cubes.
- As the water evaporates, the sugar solution becomes more concentrated so that the sugar separates from the water. The sugar molecules will then collect in the thread and form rock sugar crystals.
- Use masking tape to attach the pencil to the glass/bottle so it doesn't slide or roll off when rock sugar crystals form.
Step 4. Place the glass/bottle in a safe place to prevent it from being bumped
To produce the largest sugar cubes, place the glass/bottle in a cool, dark place to allow the water to evaporate slowly and allow the sugar crystals to form for a long time.
- If you need to make sugar cubes quickly and don't mind getting a large sugar cube, place the glass/bottle in a sunny location to allow the water to evaporate quickly.
- The vibrations interfere with the formation of rock sugar crystals. Do not place glasses/bottles on the floor to avoid vibration caused by people walking and keep them away from music players or sound producers, such as stereos or TVs.
Step 5. Allow rock sugar crystals to form for 1 week
Do not knock or touch the glass/bottle to prevent crystal formation or even cause crystals to fall off the threads. After 1 week, there will be large, fine sugar cubes in the yarn. If you prefer, wait a few more days or even a week to see how large the sugar cubes can form.
Step 6. Carefully lift the thread
Then, place it on wax paper and let it dry. Use scissors to cut the thread that holds the paper clips together.
If the rock sugar sticks to the glass/bottle, run hot water over the bottom of the glass/bottle. This method can make the sugar cubes detach from the glass/bottle and lift it out without being damaged
Method 3 of 3: Forming Rock Sugar Crystals on a Stick
Step 1. Wet a wooden skewer or popsicle stick with water and roll it in granulated sugar
The granulated sugar acts as a seed crystal so that the sugar in the solution can stick to it and begin to crystallize. The granulated sugar which acts as a seed makes it easier and faster to form rock sugar crystals because it is easily attached to the sugar contained in the sugar solution.
Allow the skewer/stick to dry completely before proceeding to the next step. If you don't stick to the stick/stick, the sugar can fall to the bottom of the glass/bottle so that rock sugar crystals form at the bottom of the glass/bottle, not on the stick/stick
Step 2. Position the stick/stick in the center of the bottle/glass so that it doesn't touch the wall or bottom of the glass/bottle
Otherwise, the formation of rock sugar crystals may be inhibited or the sugar cubes may stick to the bottom or walls of the glass/bottle.
Position the skewer/stick so that the tip is at least 2.5 cm from the bottom of the glass/bottle
Step 3. Pinch the base of the skewer/stick with clothes pins
Place the clothespins across the mouth of the glass/bottle. Pinch the stick/stick in the center or as close to the clothespin spring as possible. Use a large clothespin if the mouth of the glass/bottle is wide.
- The skewer/stick should be tightly clamped and snugly in the center of the glass/bottle.
- Cover the glass/bottle with tissue paper. Make a hole in the tissue paper so that the base of the skewer/stick can pass through.
Step 4. Place the glass/bottle in a safe place so it doesn't hit
Vibrations from songs, TV, or any other activity can also interfere with the formation of rock sugar crystals and may even cause the sugar cubes to come off the stick/stick. For best results, store the glass/bottle in a cool or room temperature place away from noise or activity.
Step 5. Allow the sugar cubes to form for 1-2 weeks
Do not knock or touch the glass/bottle as this can cause the rock sugar crystals to come off the stick/stick. When the sugar cubes are the size you want (or don't seem to be getting any bigger), carefully remove the skewer/stick, place it on the waxed paper, and let it dry.
- If any sugar cubes form on the surface of the solution, use a butter knife to break the sugar cubes apart, being careful not to damage the sugar cubes stuck to the sticks.
- If the rock sugar sticks to the glass/bottle, run hot water over the bottom of the glass/bottle. This method can make the sugar cubes detach from the glass/bottle and lift it out without being damaged.
Step 6. Done
Tips
- If rock sugar crystals don't form on the yarn after about a day, remove the pencil and string, bring the solution back to a boil, and add more sugar. If the added sugar is soluble, it means that the sugar content in the previous solution was not much. Repeat the procedure, but this time using a highly concentrated sugar solution.
- The process of making rock sugar can be used as a scientific project task.
- Be patient! This recipe may take some time.
