Buzz
With the holiday baking season around the corner, many will soon be using their baking supplies for the first time in months. If your brown sugar hasn’t been touched since last December, it’s likely turned into a hard lump by now. While it may be difficult to work with, it’s still perfectly safe to eat. You can easily restore it to its soft, workable texture in just a few minutes with this simple trick.
As MarthaStewart.com suggests, the quickest method for softening brown sugar is in the microwave. Place the sugar lump into a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel. Heat it in 20-second intervals, checking its consistency after each one. When the sugar becomes soft enough to scoop with a spoon, it’s ready to use in your baking.
Brown sugar is simply white sugar combined with molasses, and over time, the moisture in the molasses evaporates. This causes the sugar crystals to clump together into a hard, unmanageable mass. However, if the sugar feels like a rock, it hasn’t spoiled. The microwave technique works by reintroducing the lost moisture. As the damp paper towel heats, it releases steam that softens the hardened sugar back to a more granular texture.
One way to avoid the common problem of brown sugar hardening is by taking preventive measures. After you're done baking, store your sugar in a sealed airtight container or bag, and place a slice of bread at the bottom. Be sure to press out any extra air before sealing it. The combination of the sealed environment and the moisture from the bread should help keep the brown sugar soft until your next baking project.
