[Sca-cooks] Rock Candy

[Elise Fleming]

Ardenia asked for rock candy.  BTW, there are period recipes for this
which, if you want them, I will look up.  Otherwise, here's a modernized
version:

To make about 1 pound
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
salt
food coloring (optional)
1/4 tsp. flavoring
confectioners' sugar

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and a dash of
salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Cover the pan and bring the
mixture to a rolling boil.  Remove the lid, place a thermometer in the pan,
and cook the mixture to 250 F (121 C - hard-ball stage).  Add the food
coloring , if using, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches 285 to
290 F (140 to 143 C)  Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool
a few minutes.  Add the flavoring and cover for five minutes.  Pour into a
buttered pan measureing 7 by 10 inches.  Cut the candy into strips with
oiled scissors as soon as it is cool enough to handle.  Then cut it into
squares or diamond shapes.  When the candy is cold, dust it with
confectioners' sugar to prevent sticking.

This is from _Candy_ by Time-Life Books, 1981.  Period rock candy (IIRC)
involves a number of days as the candy crystallizes around a piece of
string hung in the syrup.

Alys Katharine

Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~alysk/