Post #307922 by The Gnomon on Mon, May 21, 2007 12:32 PM

I use my own Extreme Rock Candy syrup. I say "extreme" because not all rock candy syrup is alike and mine is extremely unstable.

Simple syrup is a saturated solution of sugar water; which means essentially that at room temperature no more sugar can be dissolved into the solution. Any additional sugar crystals that are added simply fall to the bottom and are not dissolved.

To supersaturate the solution, you need to heat it. Under heat, more sugar will dissolve into the same solution; the greater the heat the greater amount of sugar can be dissolved. As soon as you are able to add sugar beyond the sugar water's saturation point (simple syrup), it becomes supersaturated and capable of making rock candy.

When it first enters the realm of the supersaturated, it's not all that unstable but, technically, if you suspend a string (for example) down into the solution, after about a week a decent amount of rock candy should have formed on it. But if you add lots of heat, stirring in more and more sugar the whole time as you go, you'll end up (after it cools) with a very unstable solution—unstable meaning that you just have to look cross-eyed at it and rock candy crystals will begin to precipitate.

Then it gets better. As the solution cools uncovered, water continues to evaporate from the solution. So...the ratio of sugar to remaining water increases, making its supersaturation and instability even more extreme.

Here is a pic of a partial jar of syrup that had been sitting around long enough to turn about 90% into rock candy. Sorry about the blur (jiggled my phone camera), but you get the idea. The way you revive it is to stick it into a pot of simmering water for a good while, until you get tired of waiting.

When you get tired of waiting, you set it out to cool. As you can see, I was able to return about half of the remaining contents of the jar into extreme RC syrup before my patience ran out. My syrup is usually dark, for one because I use raw or minimally refined sugar which is not completely white, and two, I don't stir it rapidly and constantly to deter it from caramelizing. I refuse to undertake the task without arming myself with a few Mai Tais throughout the production process. Such interruptions are enough to experience caramelization (of both brain and syrup). You could probably make a fairly clear batch by using a mechanical stirring device (that won't melt) and never stop stirring the whole time. I just use Chinese cooking tongs (aka 18" chopsticks) and stir when the mood stikes me.

BTW, a jar of extreme syrup looks innocent enough, but it has about 5 or so pounds of sugar in it, so it weighs as much as a jar of water plus 5 or so pounds. Even if you know what it is in advance, your mind doesn't register how heavy it is until you start to pick it up. It's heavier than a brick.

Now why would anyone actually want to use extreme RC syrup in a Mai Tai (or other concoction)? A drop of RC syrup doesn't taste any sweeter than a drop of simple syrup. I'll leave it to you to experiment and figure out, but let's say that you wanted to turn your orgeat syrup and curacao mixture into a supersaturated syrup solution, for some magical mixological reason. The best way to do it would be to allow the simple syrup in the orgeat and curacao to join forces with the supersaturated rock candy syrup. The combined sugar water components of the three ingredients would overall be supersaturated.

NOTE: Make sure not to combine lime juice with the RC syrup until the very last moment. It can ruin any rock candy crystalization effects you might be seeking. Candy makers use acids to soften candy because the acid prevents the sugar from crystallizing.