Jenn made candy apples, but she had too much syrup.

[conuly]

She set it aside. Can it now be de-hardened, or are the jars good only to be tossed?

Comments

[crystalpyramid]

You can probably melt it again, maybe in a double boiler so it doesn't burn or get harder. Or in a microwave if you're lazy.

[conuly]

I'm mostly just concerned about exploding the glassware!

[crystalpyramid]

As long as the glassware is heated/cooled slowly and uniformly, it should be fine. The thing that explodes glassware is abruptly changing the temperature of part of it, and not giving the rest time to catch up.

[janewilliams20]

Or if there's a hair-line crack, as I know from bitter (and blistered) experience.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

I would think you can melt it down again - try adding a little water and slowly heating up the jar in a double boiler, so the glass isn't in direct contact with the heating element. If it doesn't work out, then you can toss it.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

It should be reheatable - either bain-marie style (so it doesn't burn before it melts) or, if that's not hot enough, by adding water little by little, heating slowly and being constantly vigilant.
(Technically, it should also be possible to break the hardened syrup into little chunks and put them into water to dissolve, but that might give you too thin a syrup... and takes ages.)