How To Soften Brown Sugar With Bread. Put a slice of fresh bread in an airtight container with the lumpy brown sugar. After about a day, the sugar will have absorbed enough moisture from the bread to become its soft and crumbly self again. Remove the bread so it doesn't mold.
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.
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. It just won't have the same quality as if it were newer.
Even though the shelf life of brown sugar is indefinite, it's best to use it within two years of purchase for maximum flavor. Don't store brown sugar in the refrigerator. However, if you are in a very dry area or are going to keep it for a long time, you may want to freeze it.
Essentially, brown sugar hardens when moisture evaporates due to aging or improper storage. But hardened sugar is still safe to eat and use, you just have to soften it back up to a usable texture. If your recipe has the sugar dissolving or melting into a liquid, you can actually use the hardened stuff without issue.
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.
Technically, sugar never spoils. While it's recommended that granulated sugar be discarded after two years, chances are it will still serve its baking purpose even beyond that. The same guidelines apply to brown sugar and confectioner's or powdered sugar.
Granulated sugar will keep indefinitely, confectioners' sugar about 2 years, and brown sugar about 18 months. Brown sugar turns hard when its moisture evaporates.
"Technically sugar never spoils," explain food safety experts from the US Department of Agriculture's Food Service and Inspection Service, though they do add, "for best quality it is recommended to use within two years of opening."
Brown Sugar doesn't really "expire." However, it can absorb excess water if stored in a humid environment and lead to bacteria fermenting it (It would have an alcohol style smell and turn goopy) or pick up odors from its packaging or things that are nearby.
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So if your recipe calls for one cup white sugar, swap one cup brown sugar. The sweetness level will be exactly the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods.
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.
Yes! As long as it has not picked up so much moisture that it melted and then hardened to a big, dark brown sugar mass. If you can still see the granules, but it's just solid, it can be used in a recipe. It needs to be softened and broken down to make it easy to measure this ingredient.
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.
How To Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad? Discard your brown sugar if you notice bugs or insects, any wet clumps or mold inside, or if it smells off. As already mentioned, dry lumps are perfectly safe, and you can get rid of them manually or by reintroducing a bit of moisture to the molasses that has dried out.
Therefore, brown sugar is the best sugar to use during fermentation.
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.
Storage containers should be opaque, airtight, and moisture/ odor-proof. The typical retail paper package for crystal sugars is not suitable for long term storage. Polyethylene bags, Mylar-type bags, food-grade plastic buckets, glass canning jars, and #10 cans are all suitable for dry sugar storage.
Even though honey doesn't have an expiration date, it can still undergo natural changes. The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature.
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.
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.