In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is Brown SugarHow Can You Store Brown Sugar So It Doesn’t Harden?Why Does Brown Sugar Harden?How Can You Soften Brown Sugar Fast?How to Soften Brown Sugar with an AppleHow to Soften Brown Sugar with BreadHow to Soften Brown Sugar with Terra CottaHow Can You Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad?What Are Some Alternatives to Brown Sugar?The Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is Brown Sugar
How Can You Store Brown Sugar So It Doesn’t Harden?
Why Does Brown Sugar Harden?
How Can You Soften Brown Sugar Fast?
How to Soften Brown Sugar with an Apple
How to Soften Brown Sugar with Bread
How to Soften Brown Sugar with Terra Cotta
How Can You Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad?
What Are Some Alternatives to Brown Sugar?
The Bottom Line
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Brown sugar, whether light or dark, is an essential ingredient for baking and cooking. But what if you grab that bag or jar to find a solid, hard lump of sugar instead of that soft, fluffy, sandy pile you expected? There are many ways to get brown sugar back to a usable state and keep it that way. Just choose the method that makes sense to you!
Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar: What’s the Difference?
What Is Brown Sugar?
Brown sugar is simply granulated sugar that has had molasses introduced. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark brown sugar. The addition of molasses gives both extra moisture to the sugar and a caramel flavor that is wonderful but also makes it prone to hardening if not stored properly.
As soon as you bring your brown sugar home, remove it from the original packaging and put it into an airtight container. Store it in a cool, dry spot in your pantry. If you have a terra cotta sugar saver, you can put it in there to help maintain moisture. Re-soak the tile according to the directions that came with 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. But if your recipe calls for creaming (like withthese cookies) or blending the sugar into a batter, you want to re-soften it before using.
There are a couple of methods that work best if you need your sugar softened quickly. Microwaving is the fastest, but it’s also the most prone to complications like melting or burning. Doing it without a microwave takes a little longer, but you have better control over your final product.
How to Soften Brown Sugar with a Microwave
This is the favorite method of softening brown sugar from Ina Garten, celebrity chef and cookbook author. Place the hardened brown sugar in a microwave-safe container. Soak a paper towel in water and wring it out, then lay it over the sugar. Microwave in 10-second increments, stirring with a fork between bursts until it is fully softened. Be careful not to melt or burn the sugar.
How to Soften Brown Sugar Without a Microwave
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Place the hardened brown sugar in a baking dish or heatproof bowl. Bake, stirring with a fork every two to three minutes, until softened to your desired texture.
Cut an apple in half. Place the hardened brown sugar in a container with a tightly fitting lid; nestle the apple halves into the sugar or place them on top. Seal the container and let it sit until the sugar has softened, 24 to 48 hours. Remove and discard the apple.
Similar to the apple method, place a slice of fresh bread on top of the hardened brown sugar and seal it in a container until softened, 24 to 48 hours, then discard the bread.
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 usedwithin two yearsof purchase.
Brown sugar is a pantry staple that adds flavor and texture to many wonderful dishes, such asSoy-Garlic-Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs,Brown Sugar Salmonor a simpleBrown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit. When stored properly, brown sugar can last years in your pantry. But if your sugar has lost its oomph, you have plenty of ways to bring it back to life without losing any of its delicious properties. Whether you areglazing beetsfor a fabulous side dish or making abrown sugar-glazed apple cake, keeping your brown sugar soft will make your cooking and baking easy!
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