Guide Note

Most any variety of hard candy fastened to a stick can be called a lollipop. The product is usually licked or sucked for a consistent period before it becomes thin enough to bite and chew.

Fast Facts

1. June 20: National Lollipop Day
2. Sometimes contain bubble gum or soft Candy
3. Modern lollipops were first available in the 1920s
4. The precise origin of the lollipop is unknown
5. Many lollipops are infused with licorice or ammonium chloride to give it a salty or spicy flavor

Lollipops can be made at home with the proper ingredients and a basic knowledge of the chemical components of sugar. Corn syrup, water, sugar and cream of tartar should be heated in a frying pan and stirred consistently until all the sugar crystals have dissolved. When the mixture boils, a syrup will begin to set. Once it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be brought off the heat to cool for a few minutes when flavor and citric acid can be added.

The resulting syrup can be poured into molds of nearly any shape with a stick stuck in the middle. After ten minutes, the syrup will have cooled and the popsicles will be ready.