Brown Sugar Tips and Tricks

Once opened keeping your brown sugar from getting packed and hard can be a challenge. This page contains brown sugar tips and tricks.

Solutions: Brown Sugar Tips and Tricks

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Keeping Brown Sugar Soft

Here is my tip for keeping brown sugar moist. Use marshmallows! You can use bread, but bread gets moldy and then you have to replace it. Not so with marshmallows!

By Elaine S. from near Cedar Rapids, IA

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Keep Brown Sugar Soft

Brown sugar will get hard in a heart beat if you don't do something to keep the moisture in the container or bag. Here is a tip I use that really works and is pretty much free.

Take an old broken clay pot that you don't need anymore and break off a piece suitable for the size container that you keep your brown sugar. Make sure it is very clean and then soak it in water for about a half hour. Dry off with a towel and place in the container. This will keep your brown sugar nice and moist. Just repeat the soaking when it dries out, which should not be very often.

By littlegamma from southern, AL

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Packing Brown Sugar

I use a small glass to press down brown sugar in my measuring cup. You could use a jelly glass also. I got these 5 oz measuring glasses at Walmart for about $1 each (made in the U.S.A. too) and they are just the right size for my hands.

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, CA Unpacked Brown Sugar

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Brown Sugar Tips

Soften Hard Brown Sugar

For hard brown sugar, wet a paper towel, wrap it around the sugar and in a few hours or less, it will be soft.

By Ginny

Microwave

An easy way to soften brown sugar is to simply place it in the microwave for a few seconds! (Not long enough to melt it of course, just to soften it)

By Aneita

Add A Slice Of Bread

Place a piece of bread in with the brown sugar and it will soften, in a few hours.

By Chelsey

Freeze Then Microwave

When finding my brown sugar had gotten hard and not wanting to toss it I put some in the freezer. When I need some to make cookies I decided to microwave it. It turned out fine. It seemed to work better after being frozen. I now freeze my brown sugar once it starts getting hard.

By RoseMary B. from Texas Creek, CO

Use A Food Processor

I chop it up in the food processor if it has gotten hard.

By Ed

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Softening Hard Brown Sugar

Add an apple to your brown sugar in a glass jar. Works every time.

By Gerry B. from Tuscon, AZ

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Use Extra Plastic Bag To Keep Brown Sugar Soft

Keep brown sugar fresh. After closing wax paper packaging on inside of box, place a wadded up plastic grocery bag on top and close top of box. This will keep your brown sugar moist, and clump free for many months.

Source: My own invention!

By Denise from Crescent City, CA

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Store Brown Sugar In Fridge

To keep brown sugar soft, keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can also put a small piece of bread in the container, and this will keep the brown sugar soft. Don't ask me why this works, but it does.

By laramay from Portland, OR

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Soften Brown Sugar

Soften a rock-hard box of brown sugar quickly by just putting it in the microwave for 15 second or so, then check it. If it isn't soft enough, increase by 10 second intervals. Don't overdo it or you will have syrup!

By Linda

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Questions

Here are questions related to Brown Sugar Tips and Tricks.

How Much Molasses Is Needed to Turn Sugar Into Dark Brown Sugar?

How much molasses do I add to make light brown sugar into dark brown sugar? I have an over abundance of the light. I use more dark brown sugar than light. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Mike from PA

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Most Recent Answer

By Bill (Guest Post) 10/26/2007

Mike, try one Tablespoon of Molasses to one cup light brown sugar. Not dark enough add more.

Keeping Brown Sugar Soft

How do you keep brown sugar soft and fresh, not hard?

By Van from Pemberton, NJ

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Most Recent Answer

By christine IN 02/19/2011

I keep mine in the original bag in a tupperware bowl sealed tightly. It will last forever. I have done this for years. No messing with MW or bread. Let me know if this works for you.

How To Store Brown Sugar

What do I do with brown sugar when I make it?

By Gregory from Park Place

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Most Recent Answer

By T&T Grandma 06/30/2010

Anything to keep the air out of it and dry, yet moist.

What is 'Packed' Brown Sugar?

When a recipe calls for 'packed brown sugar' what is this? We have ordinary brown sugar and treacle sugar here in South Africa. I'm not sure what the 'packed' is.

Carolyn from South Africa

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Most Recent Answer

By OnSheRoars (Guest Post) 04/10/2008

What ever unit of measure you are using,(cup, spoon, etc.) it should be "packed" in firmly. It should keep the shape of the utensil when you tap it out to use.

Softening Brown Sugar

If your box of brown sugar has hardened over time, don't throw it out. Instead place the box in the microwave on high power for about 20 seconds and your brown sugar will be softened.

By Sharon

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

You can also re-soften or keep brown sugar soft by placing it in an air tight container and place one or two pieces of white bread in with it. It will soften overnight or you can just change the bread every other week. You must use white bread do not use wheat. Some people also use half an apple instead of white bread, but I don't like the after taste of the apple and you must change it more often. I put a reminder on my pda or calendar and change the bread as I complete other tasks that I only do once or twice a month. (08/04/2004)

By Julie

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

I always keep brown sugar in freezer, then place in microwave on defrost for a few seconds, take what you need and place the rest back in freezer. No waste at all also keeps bugs out. (08/05/2004)

By Liz

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

Keep a clean piece of a broken clay pot in an airtight container with it. I've seen expensive versions in catalogs and stores. All it is is a piece of terracotta, so who needs a fancy design that costs a lot? (08/06/2004)

By Linne

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

All this fuss about brown sugar. Just transfer it to a freezer bag as soon as you get home from the market. It has never hardened on me this way. Just be sure to re-close the bag! (08/09/2004)

By Deanna

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

All I do is wet a small wad of paper towel or paper napkin and put it in with the brown sugar. That moistens it and softens it for practically no cost at all. (08/10/2004)

By Katie A.

Softening Brown Sugar

Place an opened box of hardened brown sugar into the microwave with one cup of water. Microwave at high for 1 1/2-2 minutes for 1/2 pound or 2 - 3 minutes for 1 pound. (11/13/2004)

By Robin

Softening Brown Sugar

I've tried many different tips for softening brown sugar, but this one works better than all the rest. It even works on an entire bag that is completely solid. All you do is put the brown sugar in an airtight container with a lid (you may have to break the sugar into pieces so it will fit). Cover the top with a layer of plastic wrap, then lay a wet paper towel over the top. Put on the lid. In a day or two, depending on the amount of brown sugar to be softened, the sugar will be as soft as sugar just purchased! By klawrence34 (11/26/2004)

By ThriftyFun

Softening Brown Sugar

How do you soften brown sugar?

Rosaland

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

A piece of non-stale bread or a dried apple slice in the bag works wonders. Remember to replace it occasionally when dries out. If it has already gotten rock hard and all else fails, I have taken it to my kitchen grater and grated off enough to use for whatever I am making. (03/05/2009)

By thriftmeg

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

Store Brown Sugar With a Slice of Bread

Keep brown sugar soft. Store brown sugar you plan to save for later baking in an airtight container with a fresh slice of bread. The moisture in the bread will keep your sugar soft, moist, and ready-to-use. When the bread dries and hardens, simply replace it with a fresh slice. You can feed the old, dry one to the birds and squirrels.

By Marie from West Dundee, IL

RE: Store Brown Sugar With a Slice of Bread

I especially like the idea of feeding the bread to the birds and squirrels! But, having said that, I still think it's easier and healthier to use a Brown Sugar Saver (made of a disk of clay) which lasts a lot longer and is probably a lot healthier. It can be used over and over every 3 months, approx., and there are nice designs, too! Cindy (07/02/2008)

By Cindy H

RE: Store Brown Sugar With a Slice of Bread

I have kept brown sugar in a canning jar with the 2 piece lid for over a year and it is as soft as the day I bought it! (10/31/2009)

By wolfbytez

Softening Brown Sugar

How do you soften brown sugar that has hardened?

By Louise from Janesville, WI

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

I have an air tight container that I add 1 piece of bread to the package of opened brown sugar and in a day the sugar is softened. (06/28/2010)

By kris comer

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

Put brown sugar in plastic container (tupperware type)with tight fitting lid, add 1 or 2 pieces of bread (white or whole wheat) close lid, will soften in less than a day and will keep forever. Even if the bread dries out, your sugar will remain soft. (06/28/2010)

By arizonamafia

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

The other thing that works is a slice of apple. (06/29/2010)

By Laniegirl

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

Place a piece of bread in your bag or container of brown sugar and your sugar will get soft. I also found that keeping your brown sugar in the freezer keeps it from getting hard. (06/29/2010)

By morbetomommy

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

A quick way to soften brown sugar is to place in the microwave with a cup of water to the side; heat up for a few minutes on high and voila! Soft sugar:) (06/29/2010)

By yoder178

RE: Softening Brown Sugar

If you would go to tipnut.com, there are all ways to soften brown sugar. I usually use the old method of putting a slice of bread in an airtight container with brown sugar for a day or overnight. (06/29/2010)

By ladyinred