Ever plan out an awesome dessert or recipe and then reach into the cupboard only to find that the required brown sugar has become as hard as a rock and almost unusable?
Over the years, I’ve dealt with a fair share of unexpected of brown sugar rock formations so I know how frustrating it can be when this happens. In this post, I’ll cover some of the super simple ways you can prevent your brown sugar from becoming as hard as a rock and also how you can fix it!
How to Properly Store and Prevent Hard Brown Sugar
It’s best to use an airtight container when storing brown sugar since exposure to air will cause the brown sugar to harden quicker.
To maintain the softness of your brown sugar when it’s in storage, I highly recommend placing a water soaked terra cotta disk into the container with the sugar. This will slowly release moisture into the sugar over time and will keep it soft for longer. All you have to do is soak the disk in water for about 10 minutes, dry it off with a towel and place it into your brown sugar container. Every couple of months, I re-soak my disk and put it back into the container for maintenance.
Putting a few jumbo marshmallows into the container will keep the brown sugar soft as well. This works similar to using the terra cotta disk. Once the sugar starts to firm up a little replace the marshmallows with new ones.
I’ve also heard some people like to keep their brown sugar in a zip-top bag in the freezer, but I haven’t tried this one myself.
How to Quickly Soften Brown Sugar
If your brown sugar has become as hard as a rock and you need to use it immediately here’s a way you can quickly soften it.
Put the brown sugar in a microwave-safe dish and place a moistened kitchen towel over the top. Turn on your microwave for 20 seconds. Let the dish sit in the microwave for a minute with the towel still covering it. Now check the softness of the brown sugar using a spoon. If it still needs more softening try again in the microwave, but for no more than 20-30 seconds.
How to Soften Brown Sugar if You Don't Need it Immediately
If you don’t need your brown sugar right away there are a few ways to soften it overnight. Place any of the following items in the container with your brown sugar and it should be soft again the next day.
Apple slice – remove once brown sugar is softened
A couple large marshmallows – these can stay in the container to maintain softness and be replaced once they start to harden
Slice of bread – remove once brown sugar is softened
I hope that you found this post helpful for the next time you find that you’re stuck with rock hard brown sugar!
Do you have a tip for keeping brown sugar that works well for you? I’d love to hear about it!
Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below! 🙂
