Anything that gets in the way of whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies is definitely not our friend. And fossilized brown sugar has interfered more times than we can count!
Short of getting out the hammer and getting physical, here are some ways to soften brown sugar - and keep it that way!
1. Air-Tight Container - A container with a tight-fitting lid or even a resealable plastic bag can really help keep brown sugar from losing so much moisture that it turns into a rock.
2. Terra Cotta Brown Sugar Savers - You can find these little terra cotta disks at almost any baking supply store. Just soak it in water and seal it in with the brown sugar to help soften it up.
3. Marshmallows - We found this tip through Real Simple and are curious to try it. Apparently, throwing a few marshmallows into the bag helps keep the brown sugar soft!
4. Slice of Bread - This was our mother's preferred method. She swears by leaving a slice of bread in the bag overnight.
5. Slices of Apple - This is the same idea as both the marshmallows and the bread. The brown sugar will draw the moisture out of the apples and soften up.
And of course, if you're in a hurry to make cookies and need softer brown sugar right away, try this method of microwaving it with a damp paper towel!
What's your method for softening brown sugar?
Related: Baking Tip: Make Your Own Brown Sugar
(Image: Sang An/Real Simple)
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I keep my brown sugar in a zip lock bag and it works like a charm!
I use white sugar and add molasses to make brown.
I keep mine in the fridge closed with a clip. Works like a charm!
The timing on this is perfect. This morning began with my husband sawing up a hunk of brown sugar for the kid's otameal. Going to forward this to him - thanks!
My boyfriend (who continues to maintain that he knows nothing about baking) taught me to keep brown sugar in the freezer - and it's always soft! I don't know how it works, but it does.
cowgrad03- I would love to do that, but my fridge is way too full of other stuff! I'll stick with the terra cotta teddy bear my mom gave me years ago.
I've never had a problem with my brown sugar. Does this mean I make cookies too often?
I use a canning jar - works like a charm!
Microwaving it in the bag for about 20 seconds usually works for me.
I keep mine in the freezer in a ziplock bag. It defrosts quickly and is nice and soft.
I use two zip-lock bags, then I put the bagged brown sugar into a large plastic container with a tight seal.
Marshmallows definitely work! I keep my brown sugar in a lidded plastic container with five or six small marshmallows wrapped in a coffee filter.
Writing marshmallows on the shopping list now.
oh some people will use any excuse to buy marshmallows ;-))
I use a wire bail glass jar with a rubber gasket seal. Completely air-tight and the brown sugar is always soft! Leave it out overnight with the lid open, though? Hard as a rock. My solution? Add a fresh bag of brown sugar! Softened the hard stuff underneath right up. :)
i bought a terra cotta sugar bear a few years back for around $3, and it's perfect. soak it for like half an hour in water and toss it in the package, and boom - you're good for three months.
my mom always keeps a spoon in hers. I think it's S/S ? but it was a "special" spoon--it didn't match our other silverware, so I'm not sure what the deal was. But the brown sugar was always soft.
I keep mine in a plastic snap-top container. Stays soft! (but I like the marshmallow trick!)
I find the lumps aren't too much of a problem... because they get snacked on while baking (isn't that awful?). Putting marshmallows in with the sugar only increases the chances of my eating half the ingredients before the baking even gets started!
I use the heel from a loaf of bread in my bag of brown sugar. Indeed, it's a trick I picked up from my mom and grandmother.
Orange peel also works.
The Real Simple marshmallow-in-bag trick works, and it works well. To answer Trish1980's question, I've had the same marshmallows in my bag of brown sugar for more than four months now and the sugar's still perfectly fine. If I lived in an arid climate like New Mexico or Arizona, I'd doubt the accuracy of my findings, but I live in Florida. Happy baking!
I use the piece of bread... and it works well. Found out about it in this awesome book called Mary Ellen's Helpful Hints!
I just use a air tight container, haven't had a problem yet.
I have always felt ridiculously superior having discovered, in my first kitchen, that dumping your brown sugar in a rubbermaid container kept it moist and crumbly for eons (I don't bake a whole lot, so it stays there awhile) Now maybe I'll try a rubber gasket glass jar, cause it might be more aesthetically pleasing.
Like some others who have already commented, I keep my brown sugar in the freezer. A few seconds on the counter at room temperature and it's ready to add to your favorite cookie recipe!
I have used the bread trick in the past, but when I came back to use my brown sugar, the bread was gone. In its place was a huge nasty disgusting web of black mold. Since then, I've stuck with the airtight jar method.
The day you buy it, put it in an airtight container and pop it in the freezer. When you go to start a recipe that calls for brown sugar, put it on the counter before you do anything else. By the time you get to the step you need it (about five minutes), it'll be thawed and perfectly soft every time. Pop it back in the freezer when you're done.