What it is: Adding a few apple slices to a container of hardened brown sugar adds moisture to the environment, reviving the sugar. The more cut surface area in the bag, the more moisture it imparts, so you'll need more pieces for a lot of sugar and just one or two for a cup. How it worked: I saw results in my apple bag after just two hours; because I added a few slices, which could be dispersed on all sides of the hardened sugar, the sugar softened evenly.

The moisture from the apples also managed to seep deeper into larger chunks of sugar than other methods, breaking them down all the way through in less time. The apples did get brown, mushy, and coated in sugar in time, which made me eager to fish them out of the bag. I'd read that brown sugar treated this way takes on a subtle apple flavor and found that to be true, so I was hesitant to combine this apple-y sugar with the rest of my brown sugar once soft again.

What it is: A slice of bread emits moisture as it goes stale , which can soften a sealed container of hardened brown sugar. To eight ounces of solid brown sugar, I added one slice of basic whole wheat sandwich bread. How it worked: The bread method worked about as quickly as the apple method, softening my brown sugar through in just about two hours. Because there was just the one slice, I found that all the sugar nearest to it softened first, so I moved the bread around a few times to give all of the sugar access to its moisture.

It did not penetrate into the more stubborn chunks of sugar as deeply as the apples did, but by shaking the bag to move the bread around, it did evenly soften. The biggest drawback with the bread test was that it was the quickest to create condensation on the inside of the bag, like it was steaming up from the inside.

There were even some golden brown droplets where the grains of sugar and that moisture interacted, which I didn't love. But the bread slice itself was much easier to remove from the bag in one piece, and didn't alter the flavor of the sugar. What it is: Terracotta retains moisture very well. To use it to soften hard brown sugar, soak a piece—either one made specifically for this purpose or a small, clean planter drip tray —in water for 30 minutes, then wipe away the excess water and stick it in an airtight container with the sugar.

Soak the terra cotta disk or piece in water for about 30 minutes, dry off the excess water , and place it with your brown sugar in an airtight container. Leave the container tightly sealed overnight and check in the morning to make sure that it is soft enough. All of these tricks will help with softening brown sugar that has gone hard.

How do you keep this from happening in the first place? The terra cotta disks mentioned above will help to keep your sugar soft for a few months. Just leave the disk in the container to help keep your brown sugar soft.

If you do this, you will need to repeat the soaking process in a few months. Keeping carrot peels, or saltine crackers in the brown sugar container also helps to keep it from hardening. For long term storage, the use a double storage airtight environment. Place the brown sugar in a zip top bag. Roll up the bag to squeeze out any excess air and seal the bag. Place this bag into a container with a tight lid and it will keep the sugar moist for months.

Remember that the quality of brown sugar is best when consumed within 6 months of purchase and opening. With the worry of having your brown sugar going hard, you may not be inclined to take advantage of sales of it at the store.

After freezing, use a fork to separate clumps in the sugar before using it. If any ice crystals have formed, stir often as it thaws to make sure the sugar is not affected by the excess moisture. Thaw frozen sugar and use a fork to separate clumps before using.

If ice crystals form after long freezer storage, frequently stir the sugar as it thaws to prevent the sugar from being affected by pockets of moisture.

Would you like a reminder of these 6 ways to soften brown sugar? Just pin this image to one of your cooking boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later. Admin note: This post first appeared on the blog in May of I have updated the post to add all new images, more tips for softening brown sugar, a project card to print out and a video for you to enjoy.

To store brown sugar so that it doesn't go hard, double store it. Place a zip lock bag of brown sugar inside the air tight canister. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page.

Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Being Christmas Day i'm guessing you won't be able to reply but I have an embarrassing problem! I softened my full bag of rock hard brown sugar IN a bowl of water on high in my microwave needing it to make soft ginger cookies.

The sugar is now in in liquid form! Can I use this as a cup of brown sugar in its current liquid state or do I wait for it to harden again?! Urgh - no time to read the entire suggestions and my microwave isn't large enough to put two bowls in one with sugar and one with water thus I combilned the two.

If you added the brown sugar to the bowl of water, you changed the product to more of a syrup. It won't turn into brown sugar again. Thank you for sharing these genius and simple ways to rescue my cookie making since all of the stores are closed now. Most suggestions that appeared in my search involved a microwave, which I don't use. Your comprehensive list gave me many options I really can use!

Thanks so much! I have also added an whole apple in the container with hard brown and that works like putting the piece of bread also,. Why does brown sugar get hard? Once this happens, the brown sugar will harden into a solid mass of sugar. Tips for softening brown sugar There are several easy ways to get that brown sugar soft again. All of the solutions provide a means of returning moisture back to the hard sugar. Read on to find out how to soften brown sugar quickly. Softening brown sugar with bread Add a slice of bread to the container of brown sugar.

Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Cookie Easter Bunny House Medium. Special equipment: parchment paper, ruler, scissors, rolling pin, pizza cutter, cookie cutters, disposable pastry bags, small and medium decorating tips For the dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix the eggs and vanill.

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Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the sage, garlic and jalapenos and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cour. Add the cinnamon sugar, caster sugar and salt and mix until combined. Top each w.

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Quickly sear the meat on all sides over medium heat. Carolina pork fillet with peach BBQ sauce and sweet potato hash browns Medium. Spray a large ovenproof pan with nonstick cooking spray. Quickly sear the meat on all sides over a medium heat. Grilled pizza brushed with butter, cinnamon, sugar and star anise, served with chocolate sauce Easy. Griddle until golden brown on both sides, about two minutes per side. Remove from the griddle. Brush t. Rinse and drain the millet. Grind the millet into powder with a food processer.

Put the millet in a pot and cook over at a low temperature for 20 minutes stir constantly. Add the palm sugar when boiled. Chop the guavas into cubes. Grilled pizza brushed with butter, cinnamon, caster sugar and star anise, served with chocolate sauce Easy. For the pizza:1 Preheat the griddle to high. Griddle until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill. Cinnamon sugar French-style toast Easy.

Spray a 10 to inch tart pan or pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using a.

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Hash Brown Casserole Easy. Preheat the oven to degrees F. Coat a 9- by inch baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk together the yogurt, milk, sour cream and flour in a large bowl. Vanilla sugar biscuits Easy. Add the egg and vani. Vanilla Sugar Cookies Easy. Add the egg and vanil.