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Kitchen Science: Homemade Hard Candy Lollipops

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Have you ever made homemade hard candy?  If not, you should give it a try!  Today I want to show you how to make lollipops with your kids.  This is a fun kitchen science activity with a tasty reward at the end!

homemade hard candy lollipops

This kitchen science experiment will require adult supervision due to the hot candy mixture.  It’s not very hard, but the level of heat can be dangerous!

Making these lollipops can be used to teach a variety of educational topics.  You can practice measurement and fractions while preparing them. We used number lollipop molds, so they can also be used for counting, addition, subtraction and even multiplication and division. Any shape of mold can be used for this recipe though!

 

How to Make Homemade Hard Candy Lollipops

Ingredients & Supplies for Homemade Lollipops

2 c. Sugar

â…” c. Corn syrup

â…” c. Water

Candy thermometer

Food Coloring

½ tsp. Flavoring/extract

Large pot

Lollipop Molds or other hard candy molds

Lollipop sticks

 

To make these hard candy lollipops, start by mixing together the sugar, corn syrup and water in a pot. Mix well to combine and dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Insert the candy thermometer into the pot and boil until the mixture reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure your thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pot.

While the hard candy mixture is cooking, spray your candy molds with non-stick spray.  If you want a few colors or flavors, prepare some glass bowls or measuring cups to use to divide out the mixture. Slowly pour the candy mixture into the molds.

 Homemade hard candy lollipops in mold

 

While still hot, press the sticks into the candy and twist a bit to make sure it is covered on all sides. DO NOT TOUCH with bare hands! It is very hot!

homemade hard candy number lollipops

Cool completely for at least 20 minutes before touching or removing from the molds. Take the lollipops out of the molds.  They can now be used for counting and equations.

 

The Science Behind Making Hard Candy:

Hard candy is made with sugar and water.  You dissolve lots of sugar in water.  When the sugar is mixed into the water, it breaks apart into individual sucrose molecules. When you add heat, you can dissolve even more sugar in the water than you could with cold water.

As the mixture heats up, the water evaporates leaving behind the melted hot concentrated sugar solution. Depending on how long and how hot you cook the solution, it will give you a different type and texture of candy.
As you stir, the sugar crystalizes and locks together into a solid. However, you do not want too much crystallization to happen or your candy will be grainy!
For a successful candy, you want to prevent crystallization. That’s where the corn starch comes in handy.  The corn syrup in this mixture adds a starch to it.  The starch is a strong of sugar or glucose molecules linked together. When heated, the starch chain breaks apart into individual glucose molecules. Glucose molecules are smaller than sucrose molecules and get between the sucrose.  This prevents crystal formation giving you a smooth clear candy.
A hard candy can be eaten as soon as it is cold down.  You want a clear shiny look, similar to glass.

Homemade Lollipops- kitchen science

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