To quickly soften brown sugar: place the sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel for about 20 second, or use a food processor to loosen the brown sugar. If you aren't pressed for time, use a slice of bread or an apple in an airtight container with the brown sugar for 24 hours.
Just place your block of brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Wet a paper towel and squeeze until just slightly damp. Lay the paper towel over the brown sugar and microwave it in 20-second intervals, loosening the sugar with a fork between each interval, until the sugar has returned to its normal texture.
How to prevent your brown sugar from hardening. Brown sugar should be stored in a cool, moist area in a rustproof container with a tight-fitting lid. Brown sugar can also be stored in any type of re-sealable, moisture-proof plastic bag.
1) Brown sugar saver
Soak it in cold water for 20 minutes. Blot with a paper towel to prevent the sugar from getting wet. Place directly in the sugar in an airtight container. It takes about a day to revive hardened brown sugar.
All you need is 1/8 of an ounce (i.e., 3/4 teaspoon, or 3.5 grams) of water for every eight ounces of dried-out brown sugar.
Just make sure the container is airtight. Next, put a marshmallow in the container. This will keep the brown sugar soft, owing to the moisture in the marshmallow. You can also use a slice of white bread, or a couple cut-up wedges of apple, both of which have enough moisture to do the job, too.
Wrap your hardened brown sugar in aluminum foil, and place it in a 250°F oven. I recommend placing the wrapped brown sugar on a baking sheet just in case there are any spills. Carefully check the brown sugar for softness every 5 minutes (It is hot, you know!) until adequately softened.
Heat in microwave at HIGH for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Divide sugar with fork (sugar will be hot); stir. Again, microwave-softened sugar hardens as it cools so microwave only the amount of sugar you need. Use immediately and use caution as it will be hot.
Using brown sugar will result in a brown liquid, so it's important to keep an eye on the mixture as you won't be able to tell if it's turned to caramel just from the color. Continue to boil for caramel. If you want to make caramel, leave the mixture to boil for longer.
Why Does Brown Sugar Go Hard? Brown sugar hardens as its natural moisture evaporates. Unless you store it properly, what was a soft, fluffy package of brown sugar granules will have hardened into a dense brown lump you could break windows with.
And you always need to re-freeze the frozen brown sugar after thawing it out. A little diligence will go a long way in making sure your brown sugar does not solidify. And since brown sugar rarely goes bad, you'll have soft brown sugar for a longer time if you freeze it.
To soften brown sugar overnight, place a slice of bread in a zipper-lock bag with the brown sugar and set it aside overnight until the sugar is soft again. Like the microwave method, the brown sugar will absorb the moisture from the bread to soften.
Softening brown sugar with bread
Why does the bread work to soften brown sugar? Bread contains moisture that will evaporate if it is exposed to air. However, if the only air is in a sealed container with dried out brown sugar, the water vapor molecules will stick to the sugar crystals.
Yes, brown sugar can turn white over time due to exposure to moisture and air. The brown sugar's brown color and moist texture come from the molasses content, which can start to dissolve and separate from the sugar crystals over time if not stored properly.
Commercial sugars (granular, syrup, and honey) have an indefinite shelf life due to their resistance to microbial growth. However, sugars have a best-if-used by date of approximately 2 years for quality concerns.
Brown sugar is made by coating white sugar with molasses. When brown sugar is soft, it is because the molasses is fresh and damp, allowing the sugar crystals to easily move against one another.
what I typically do when this happens is I will take a damp paper towel. put it over the brown sugar. and then I will microwave it for like. 15 to 30 seconds until it gets really soft and moist.
As mentioned, brown sugar doesn't expire. It has a shelf life of roughly two years but can last longer if you store it properly. If you have kept your brown sugar in the pantry for several years, you can still use it as long as there is no bug contamination, bad smells, or mold growing.
The brown sugar is dissolved into hot water, creating a liquid sugar, which makes it easy to add into drinks, especially, iced beverages.
They work really well. The idea is to place a slice of bread, apple, or a few marshmallows on top of the sugar and store in an airtight container. They add moisture back to the sugar. It will stay soft for days.
If stored properly, Brown Sugar should last indefinitely. If your Brown Sugar smells “off” or unusual in some way (it should be sweet and a little earthy smelling, especially Dark Brown and Demerara Style), it has most likely absorbed the smell of something else nearby because it wasn't sealed properly.
Freezer. Storing your brown sugar in a sealed bag in the freezer can help lock in moisture, some cooks say. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature at least 15 minutes before you plan to use it.
Question: When a recipe calls for brown sugar, is it always packed into the measuring cup or spoon? Answer: Yes, brown sugar should be packed into measuring cups and spoons with your fingers until even with the rim.