How to Properly Store and Soften Brown Sugar
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! 🙂
These are some great tips! I didn’t know you could use marshmallows to keep the brown sugar soft! Thanks for sharing.
Glad you found the post helpful! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Michelle
Omg wish I would of read this afew days ago! Bought a bag of brown sugar and ughhh… It’s alrea rock hard! Glad I know for future reference though 🙂
How interesting! I’ve always just stored my brown sugar in its bag, rolled up in my fridge, and I’ve totally had these problems with it becoming hard and clumpy! Thanks for sharing these tips, I’m definitely going to keep them in mind the next time I buy brown sugar for a recipe.
I didn’t even knew there was a proper way for it – this is wonderful – thanks for sharing it on us.
Very timely! My brown sugar in the cupboard is starting to harden. I didn’t know marshmallow could help keep it soft. I’ll put marshmallows later.
Great tips! I’ve used the bread trick far too often. I’ll have to try the terra cotta disk to avoid getting to that point!
I have so much brown sugar stored in my house. I use it for everything. Thanks for the tips.
I only ever heard of the slice of bread. I think i will have to try to put some marshmallows In mine.
These are great tips. I hate when my brown sugar goes hard. I will have to book mark this post.
This is definitely one brilliant idea. I’ve already bookmarked your page. I certainly need this.
Thanks so much for sharing! I am horrible when it comes to storing brown sugar and it’s always hard when I want to use it, now I can use these tips.
I’ve heard all of these work great! I’ve done the bread version and I’ve also put a little water in there to soften it and it works great!
Thanks for that Lauren! I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Michelle
These are some great tips! I don’t use brown sugar very often so it always ends up hardening…then when I go to use it, I can’t!
Oh yeah, rock hard brown sugar makes me nuts. Never heard about marshmallows helping out, I love that!
I dont go through a lot of brown sugar here. I have made my own and we keep it in a sealed storage container. These are great tips and certainly something I would put to use in the future.
I always wondered about this! The brown sugar in my canisters clump up, and I never when it expires!
These are such useful and handy tips! I actually have a bag of dark brown sugar in my cupboard that’s hard as a rock because of my neglect.
Who know? Not me, that’s for sure! I love using brown sugar though!
To think how much brown sugar I have wasted because I honestly didn’t realize there was a recovery method once it went rock hard. I always do try the trick with the slice of bread to try and keep it soft though, I picked that trick up in middle school cooking class haha.
Wow, this is really informative – I learned a lot from you. Thank you for sharing these life hacks with brown sugar. I found a new purpose for marshmallows.
My brown sugar hardens since I barely bake… I’ll definitely follow these tips next time…
Thank you for the wonderful advice! Now, I know. I’ll definitely have to keep this in mind in the future.
I always use the marshmallow trick. It works every time!
This is really helpful. We used to store brown sugar next to the coffee machine and it wouldn’t stay soft. Now I know how to keep it soft!
Ha! Just what I need coz I always have hardened brown sugar over time. Now I know what to do, thanks for the tips!
I’ve never heard of the marshmallow idea but how awesome is that! Great tips. I usually just microwave my brown sugar to soften it.
Great tips! I hate when my brown sugar goes hard as a rock. Drives me nuts so now I can eliminate that! Thanks!
Those are fantastic tips! I am keeping them all as I have thrown out so many bags of brown sugar over the last few years!
This is such a great tip. I was just having a problem the other day with my brown sugar. Believe it or not, it was so hard that I threw it away. I wish that I seen this post before.
Thanks so much Michele!
Now I wish I would have had this post up a couple days earlier! 😉
I hope you find this useful for your next bag of brown sugar. 🙂
Michelle
This was a SUPER interesting read. I didn’t know ANY of these methods for softening brown sugar.
I’m so glad I found this. I usually just throw out hard brown sugar or throw it in the microwave.