Quick Tip: Use a Whisk to Break Up Brown Sugar

You know how stubborn those semi-hard clumps of brown sugar can be when you're trying to get them mixed in with the rest of the ingredients? While we were making our butterscotch pudding the other week, we stumbled upon this simple solution...

It turns out that a whisk can really do some damage on brown sugar clumps!

Hold the whisk as if you were using a mortar and pestle and tap down on the brown sugar. The individual wires wedge into the clumps and break them apart. The whisk is also sturdy enough to exert force on even the most hardened clumps.

We think this works much better than a fork or a even a pastry cutter. Give it a try next time you find yourself battling brown sugar!

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

Comments (9)

I use the opposite solution to the same problem. I cook so infrequently with brown sugar that I find it easier to keep molasses and regular sugar in stock and whip up a batch of brown sugar on an "as needed" basis.

posted by caw261 on March 30th 2009 at 1:02pm
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I use one of those brown sugar savers (which I think I first read about on AT) to prevent hard clumping.

http://www.jbkpottery.com/products.php?sub=bss&pt=kc

They're very effective.

posted by justveggingout on March 30th 2009 at 1:22pm
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caw261 can you fill us in on the details for this?

posted by sally599 on March 30th 2009 at 1:24pm
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You can put a slice of bread in with your brown sugar and it keeps it soft.

posted by goodLife{eats} on March 30th 2009 at 1:32pm
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Sally - I think caw261 is talking about making brown sugar out of sugar and molasses:

Quick and Easy Sugar Substitutes

Making some yourself works well if you don't use brown sugar very frequently and don't want to keep it stocked in your pantry!

posted by EmmaC on March 30th 2009 at 2:04pm
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I've always put the brown sugar in the microwave with a cup of water next to it. Heat moisture = softened sugar.

posted by sciencegeek on March 30th 2009 at 2:21pm
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My mom would always buy the brown sugar the plastic bag way, not in the box and my job was to squeeze the bag and find all the clumps, break them up once it was taken out of the grocery bag! So when we finally needed to fill our brown sugar bin, de-clumped sugar was available! And now I keep mine in glass jars and it does tend to get clumped. My mom's old tupperware somehow does not! Go mom :)

posted by Karolyn on March 30th 2009 at 11:35pm
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Thanks EmmaC, that's good to know, occasionally I get a brick of brown sugar that not even the microwave can soften so its nice to have another option aside from running back to the store.

posted by sally599 on March 31st 2009 at 9:06am
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I keep mine in the bag in the refridgerator and use my hands to break up the clumps.

posted by jamiealyse on March 31st 2009 at 12:21pm
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