Sugar Crystals

The sugar crystals are primarily used in food preparations and decorating them. Sweet foods, like pastries are made with these crystals. The source is sugarcane, a plant which grows in tropical countries. Sugar crystals are also used in making glass-like materials. Such glass-like materials are used, instead of glass, to film stunt shots in the movies which helps in reducing the risk of injuries drastically.



The sugar that we consume in day-to-day life is chemically known as sucrose. The molecular composition of sucrose is C12H22O11. Sugar is available in crystalline form in the market.

How to Make Sugar Crystals


The procedure of making these crystals is provided in the article below.

• One would require a cup of water, 3 cups sugar, oven mitts, sauce pan, glass jar, food coloring, stirring spoons, paper, binder clips and pencils.


• One can start the procedure by first pouring 1 cup water into the glass jar and add sugar to it slowly.


• Sugar need to be added till the water is completely saturated and no more sugar can be dissolved in it.


• Food color may also be added to the solution; two drops are enough for coloring the crystals.


• The next step is tying one end of the string to a pencil. Other end of the string should be tied to a paper clip.


• The pencil should be placed over a jar in such a manner that the paper clip attached to the other end of string, just touches the bottom of jar.


• The glass jar need to be kept undisturbed for about 24 hours.


• One can see the formation of colorful crystals on the paperclip or whatever object you chose to immerse in the solution, by the end of 24 hours.

Best Way to Make Sugar Crystals


The procedure which yields best results is presented below. The materials needed to make these crystals are as follows: 2 cups water, 4 cups sugar, candy thermometer, wooden spoon, measuring cup, glass jar, waxed paper, cotton string and pencil.

• The available water should be boiled in a sauce pan by making use of a medium-heat flame.


• One must add sugar to the solution and dissolve it completely by stirring it continuously.


• The solution should then be poured in a jar and mouth of jar covered with waxed paper.


• Cotton string should be tied to the middle of pencil. Other end of the string needs to be attached to a weight.


• The cotton string should then be dipped in sugar solution, taken out, and dried for few days after straightening it.


• The string after drying, should be suspended in the sugar solution and left undisturbed for seven days.


• One can see the crystals forming slowly. At the end of 7 days, monoclinic crystals with smooth faces and sharp edges are seen.

Sugar Crystal Dissolving and Heating


The process of adding sugar to water continuously, leads to saturation. The saturation point of water changes with change in temperature. One can accommodate (dissolve) more sugar in water by means of heating; one can make the solution supersaturated through this procedure. As the heated solution cools down, the process of crystallization begins.

Preventing Sugar Crystal Formation


The food products like the candy should not contain crystalline sugars as It gives them grainy texture. One can use different ideas or tricks to prevent the process of crystallization. Adding fructose and glucose to candies help prevent the process of crystallization. The process of sucrose formation is thereby slowed down. One way of breaking down sugar (sucrose) is adding acids to the recipe. Lemon juice can be added to break sucrose into glucose and fructose.



The process of making sugar crystals is easy to implement at home. One should try the procedure of heating sugar solution to get the best results.

Sugar Crystals