Edible glass? Wow your kids with this glass candy recipe. Learn how to make glass candy below!
Edible glass? As a mom, I'm sure to keep broken glass pieces away from my kids. This project, however, is more fun with words than anything dangerous. Sugar glass is made from a few ingredients and is a simply fascinating creation. Want to make something that is typically not see-through or transparent (granule sugar) and make it look just like glass?
Why You Should Make Sugar Glass With Your Kids
These kinds of projects that teach and entertain are my favorites! Unexpected learning moments are my way of helping the kids keep their curiosity strong. Take, for example, this sugar glass project. It opens up the door for us to teach kids three concepts — transparent, translucent, and opaque.
We can invite them into the topic by starting the conversation around windows. We peer through them every day to see the world right outside of us. You can explain, "When you can see completely through an object, it’s called transparent. Glass in windows is often transparent. If only some light comes through, like with a curtain or a piece of paper, it’s called translucent. And if no light passes through, like with a basketball or book, the object is opaque."
But can something opaque be transformed into something translucent?
Most foods and baking ingredients are opaque but we can turn sugar into translucent edible glass. I find that making something like this, which feels impossible to my children, leads to lots of awesome oooh's and aah's!
Glass Candy Recipe Ingredients + Materials
To create your own sugar glass, here are the materials you need are:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- Flat pan
- Aluminum foil
- A candy thermometer
- Optional: food coloring/flavored syrup
How to Make Sugar Glass
Here's how to make glass candy step-by-step.
- Line your pan with aluminum foil.
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, pour in the sugar.
- Add in the water and stir continuously.
- Add the light corn syrup. Keep a constant stir going until the candy thermometer reads 300 degrees F. Remember to do this activity WITH an adult, stirring at this high temperature for a few minutes can get very hot for small hands. For us, this process was about 10 minutes long. The mixture will bubble and pop. If you want to add flavoring or color, do this right before you pour it out. Make sure not to add to much and make your glass opaque! We added a couple of drops of blue food coloring.
- Once you’ve hit 300 degrees, quickly pour out the mixture into the pan. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Carefully lift off the glass sheet. Hold it up to the light and enjoy the bubbles and patterns you find. When you're ready, crack, break, and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this project, you might also like How Large is the Solar System, Rainbow Water Music, and 5 Places in Your Home That Can Help Your Children Learn.
