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.
Put the hard brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl or container and place a dampened paper towel on top of it. Then, microwave for about 20 seconds and break it up with a fork as you go. The moisture from the paper towel should help get the brown sugar soft.
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.
Brown sugar essentially does not go bad (unless contaminants have gotten mixed in), making it ideal for buying in bulk, if you do a lot of baking. Hardened sugar isn't bad. It's just in need of moisture. However, brown sugar will perform best if used within two years of purchase.
More importantly, even if you manage to break it into bits, hard brown sugar is, well, hard. This problem means it won't dissolve and mix evenly into your batter. When your baked goods come out of the oven, they're likely to have little brown sugar pellets.
For the quickest results, place a lump of hardened sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a moist paper towel. Zap the sugar in the microwave on high in 20-second increments, breaking up any large clumps with a fork as you go.
Because air exposure is the culprit in hardening brown sugar, there's also the option of making extra sure that your sugar storage is airtight. Try placing the sugar in a zip-top plastic bag and squeeze out the extra air. Then place that bag inside an airtight container.
Sliced Bread
Just like with marshmallows, dried-out brown sugar can also absorb moisture from a slice of bread. Toss a slice into your container and in a day or two you'll find that the bread is nothing but a crouton while the sugar is soft and pliable.
Place a small piece of bread in the container with the brown sugar. Like marshmallows, white bread contains a good amount of moisture. As that transfers to the molasses in the brown sugar, the bread will become hard, the brown sugar soft. Replace that piece of bread weekly, or as needed.
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.
The Terra-Cotta Method
Soak a small piece—either one made explicitly to soften brown sugar or a small, clean planter drip tray—in water for 30 minutes, wipe away the excess moisture, and trap it in an airtight container with your sugar brick, and the sweetener will soften post-haste. The test: To 8 oz.
Granulated sugar will harden when exposed to any type of moisture. Here is an easy way to make hardened granulated sugar soft again -- Preheat oven to lowest temperature, 150-200 degrees. Remove sugar from the package and put in an ovenproof container that will hold the sugar.
Over time, even in an airtight container, brown sugar can harden and/or start to turn white (as the sugar dries, some of the molasses separates. Creating a humid environment will allow the brown sugar to rehydrate to become pliable and brown.
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. What is this? This causes them to be surrounded by a thin layer of water, so the sugar softens and crumbles.
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.
add some bread to your brown sugar container. um close it up tight and leave it for about 24h and after that when you open it you'll see. take the bread out or you can leave it in if you want and you'll see how soft it becomes.
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.
No. Similar to other types of sugar, brown sugar can last indefinitely as long as it's not exposed to air and moisture, and bugs are kept away. Some manufacturers include a two-year best-before date after opening. Brown sugar won't go rancid after two years, but there will be a slight change in its taste and texture.