4 cups sugar
1 cup water
Food coloring
Clean glass jar
String, cut into 6-inch lengths
Pencil

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups of the sugar and the water. Do not boil! Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Gradually add a few drops of the food coloring of y our choice and the additional sugar, stirring continuously until all the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the solution into a clean glass jar and tie the pieces of string to the pencil and suspend them across the mouth of the jar so that the ends hang into the sugar water.

Crystals suitable to eat will form in an hour and continue for several days to a week. Pieces can be broken off and eaten after the first hour. (But , try to hold out for big crystals!)

Although you may see quick results in small measure, the larger rock candy crystals you’re accustomed to seeing in the candy store will take some time to form.