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Bringing Science to life at home

Learning at Home • Thursday, 18 Aug 2022


The focus of 2022 Science Week is glass – we’ve found this fabulous glass-themed edible science experiment for you to try at home!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups white granulated sugar (450g)
  • 1 cup of corn syrup (or liquid glucose) (300g)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup water (125 to 250ml)
  • pinch of cream of tartar (optional)

Tools:

  • bowl
  • pot or deep skillet
  • wooden or silicone spoon
  • sheet pan
  • kitchen spray with wax paper OR baking paper OR a silicone mat
  • sugar thermometer

Method

First add the water, sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar to a deep pot

Prep a sheet pan with a silicone mat or spray the baking/wax paper with kitchen spray.

Place the pot on the stovetop and set the heat to medium-low. Stir gently until the mixture starts to boil. Turn the heat to medium after it starts to boil. After the mixture starts to boil you can stop stirring and let it heat the rest of the way.  We want to get the sugar glass up to the hard crack stage, which is right around 150 C.  If you don’t have a sugar thermometer pull off the hot sugar right when the mixture barely starts to turn color, yellowish color. Once it has reached the proper temp remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add in any food coloring or flavored extracts.

WARNING: The mixture is very hot and should be handled by an adult.

Next just pour out the sugar syrup onto your pan and allow it to spread out. Make sure the pan is level. The thinner you spread it out the thinner the glass will be. Then wait for it to set. This usually takes an hour or two.

When set, it looks like glass, feels like glass, shatters like glass, and is sharp like class – but it is edible!

This recipe is sourced from instructables.com.

Here are more suggestions for activities you can do at home!

Create a ‘Storm in a Glass‘

Grow your own crystal rock candy!

Make ‘Stained Glass’ window biscuits

Have a treasure hunt – look for different types of glass at home

Discover the Mystery of Prince Rupert’s drop

Turn milk into plastic

Practice your secret agent skills and make some invisible ink!

Perfect for our wet weather – build a better umbrella!