A quicker way to soften brown sugar is to put a moist paper towel in a plastic bag with the sugar and microwave it for 20 seconds. What happens is that once the brown sugar is exposed to air the.
Let the brown sugar sit with a moist ingredient.
Brown sugar turned hard. How to Soften Brown Sugar Thats Gone Hard Microwave the brown sugar with a moist paper towel. If you need soft brown sugar immediately dont fret. Let the brown sugar sit with a moist ingredient.
If you have the foresight to check your pantry a. Brown sugar hardens together once it has been exposed to air because it is coated in molasses. Molasses is a thick brown syrup that is obtained while refining sugar and according to The Kitchn when the sugar is fresh the molasses makes the sugar crystals slip easily over each other and the brown sugar as a while is soft and malleable.
Hard brown sugar can be a real pain especially if you need some immediately for cooking or baking. Brown sugar has a tendency to harden easily because each individual grain is coated with molasses. This is a very very thin layer that causes the crystals of sugar to glide against each other easily so they feel nice and soft.
Whether dark or light just because your brown sugar has hardened does not mean its gone bad. There are two very simple ways to soften it. Heres what to do.
Depending on how much time you have hard brown sugar can be softened. If you have 2 to 3 days. Transfer your brown sugar into an airtight container.
Toss a fresh slice of bread in the container. Close the lid and within 8 to 24 hours Remove the slice of bread it will be rock hard. But your brown sugar will be soft fluffy sweet and sugary just like it was when you brought it home from the store.
A quicker way to soften brown sugar is to put a moist paper towel in a plastic bag with the sugar and microwave it for 20 seconds. If you are leery about microwaving plastic you could also put the sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl with a moist paper towel and cover it with a lid or plate. For those moments when half of your ingredients are already in the bowl and you need brown sugar pronto turn to your microwave.
Simply place your brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds. For more stubborn sugar proceed in 20 second increments until its the consistency youre looking for. If the brown sugar is left exposed to air the moisture in that coating of molasses will evaporate.
Individual particles of sugar literally become glued to each other as the film between them dries out and the brown sugar hardens into a solid mass. Ironically this molasses is also very hygroscopic meaning it readily absorbs moisture. To resurrect your hard brown sugar grab a slice of bread.
Any old piece will do but Martinez says the crustier the bread the better. Pour the sugar into a canister and place the slice cut-side. According to Sugar Association you may use a meat tenderizer or a heavy mixing spoon to break the hardened white sugar into manageable pieces.
You should do this process before you toss the hard white sugar into the blender or a food processor. This will make the breakdown process of hard sugar faster and easier. Brown sugar is granulated sugar with the addition of molasses.
When brown sugar turns hard it is in part because of the molasses. What happens is that once the brown sugar is exposed to air the. Place brown sugar clumps in a paper bag and add a couple of apple wedges or a slice of bread.
Close the bag tightly and. Take clumps of hardened brown sugar and.