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I've had to do this several times myself and it works. Thinking I will just do this every time a recipe calls for brown sugar rather than have it on hand only to become hard no matter what I do.
I've had to do this several times myself and it works. Thinking I will just do this every time a recipe calls for brown sugar rather than have it on hand only to become hard no matter what I do.
Brown sugar turning hard is perfectly normal and to be somewhat expected. The sugar is still good. You can use it hard or re-soften it in the microwave.
I have made brown sugar when I was in a pinch, but in my opinion, I like the brown sugar I buy better. Every time I have made it, all I can taste is the molasses.
I keep my brown sugar in an airtight container and it doesn't harden. An orange peel in the bag for a short while will also soften the sugar.
I've got some that is as hard as a rock! I either take a hammer and break it up or a knife to slice enough slivers for what I need. In this case, the microwave method did nothing to help. I don't use it that often and I have tried the ziplock bag method - who knows maybe the bag had a small tear. I am not planning on replacing the sugar until I run out.
It doesn't go hard if you keep it air tight. I use a coffee clip and stick it in a resealable bag as well.
And you can buy a brown sugar disc -- it's the size of a silver-dollar pancake, made of unglazed terracotta. You soak it in water for maybe an hour, pat it dry and pop it in with the sugar. Once a year at baking time, you just re-soak the disc and pop it back in. I've never had my brown sugar concretize on me since I got mine.
White sugar is just brown sugar with the molasses spun out of it in a high speed centrifuge. So this makes perfect sense. I've done this many times. However the molasses has been cooked a bit so that's why it does have a different texture and taste than original brown sugar. White sugar is ground finer
This image is the centrifuge showing the "turbinado" sugar which is large crystals that are in between all molasses being spun out, white, and molasses left in, being brown sugar.
Tully sugar mill. Raw sugar being scraped out of centrifuge
It really doesn't go hard if you keep the sugar in an airtight container like suggested. Nothing better than brown sugar. Someone just put a spoonful in my coffee and it was instant caramel taste, I never thought of that before.
I double bag mine. But I use it often. I use it in place of sugar in a lot of recipes as I prefer the flavor of it so it doesn't harden up on me. But I did find a bag that wasn't closed properly and it was a hard rock. I did the above trick, and voila. Perfection.
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I either take a hammer and break it up or a knife to slice enough slivers for what I need. In this case, the microwave method did nothing to help. I don't use it that often and I have tried the ziplock bag method - who knows maybe the bag had a small tear. I am not planning on replacing the sugar until I run out.
